HIV/AIDS now major threat to Papuan tribes

Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes it, may be contributing to the extinction of some of Papua's 250 tribes. With a population of 2.4 million, 15,000 people in the province have developed the disease, while 660,000 are HIV positive.

In Papua, the virus has generally been transmitted through sexual intercourse. Of the 1,706 HIV positive cases recorded by the provincial health office, 1,623 people were infected by means of sexual contact, three via blood transfusion and 80 others in "as yet unknown ways".

HIV/AIDS was reportedly discovered in Papua for the first time in 1992, affecting four Thai fishermen fishing in Merauke waters and two local commercial sex workers. Since then, the virus has spread to remote parts of the region, penetrating tribal enclaves.

The disease can be quickly transmitted through blood, semen, pre-ejaculate fluids or vaginal fluids. Thus, the sexual partner of an HIV positive person may be unaware that they have the infection, continuing to have casual sex.

According to John Rahail of the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI), several factors are directly or indirectly conducive to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Papua, such as economic disparity, which may force village girls to become prostitutes, or engage in underage sex.

In Jayapura city alone, some 250 local girls have become sex workers.

Based on a survey by Lilis Damayanti from the University of Indonesia with the assistance of John Rahail from PKBI-Papua in 2003, 12 percent of 2,100 secondary school students in the regencies of Jayapura, Sorong, Manokwari, Biak and Jayawijaya had already had sex, 15.2 percent of whom had experienced intercourse between the ages of eight to 12, with friends or sex workers.

The same outcome was shown by Leslie Butt's sex survey in 2001 in the regencies of Papua, Merauke, Jayapura, Sorong and Jayawijaya. Of 196 respondents, 29 percent had had sex for the first time at an age below 15.

The risk of infection is increased by the practice of old customs among certain Papuan tribes, which promote sex deals like spouse swaps, widow transfers to younger brothers, and parties meant to seek new matches or marriage partners, with tribal chiefs having greater freedom to choose whomever they desire.

Papua's natural resources have also lured outsiders to the region, who bring with them urban habits such as drinking alcohol and gambling, as well as supporting the sex industry. One of the resources exploited without regulations to protect local cultures is gaharu(aloe wood) in Assue district, Mappi regency, southern Papua.

Felix Yus Mawengkang, a priest from the Justice and Peace Solidarity (SKP) of the Merauke bishopric, said before gaharu businessmen ventured to the regency, no HIV/AIDS cases had been recorded there; but 10 years afterward, among a population of 9,500, 35 people were living with HIV/AIDS.

If one case were assumed to represent 100 people living with HIV/AIDS, by applying tip-of-the-iceberg estimation, there would be around 3,500 people living with HIV/AIDS in the regency.

"Within five to ten years, two tribes in Assue, Awyu and Wiyagar, may be extinct due to HIV/AIDS," Mawengkang warned.

Besides Assue, all regencies and cities in Papua have been affected by the virus.

The regencies with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS are Merauke with 657 cases, followed by Timika with 592, Jayapura with 141 and Sorong with 121.

Timika is the location of PT Freeport, Sorong and Merauke have timber and fish industries while Jayapura is the economic and business center of the province.

Productive age groups mostly register the highest figures, with the 20 to 29 bracket listing 711 cases, 30 to 39 (411), 15 to 19, (156), 40 to 49 (134) and 50 to 59 (48).

"People living with HIV/AIDS are mostly in their productive and sexually active years, so unless such developments are promptly curbed, a lot more people will be infected," said chairman of the Papuan AIDS Control Commission and Papuan Deputy Governor Constant Karma.

Condom use, according to Karma, had been successfully used as a method of HIV/AIDS prevention in Uganda.

In 1982, the virus was detected in Uganda with its population of 22.7 million. In 1999, 1.4 million people were HIV positive and 800,000 people with AIDS died.

"At that time, there were AIDS deaths and funerals every day," he recalled, adding that the critical situation prompted all stakeholders to be engaged in a war on AIDS, though at first the church refused to be involved.

Prevention through the program of ABC -- Abstain, Be faithful and (use) Condoms, was finally accepted by all parties, including the church -- which originally regarded the condom campaign as promoting sexually free behavior -- after witnessing the numerous lives claimed by the disease daily.

Condoms were accepted by all circles. Their application was likened to the use of umbrellas when it rains, a necessity rather than something that is used for pleasure.

"So, condoms were only used under the pressure of necessity, rather than suggested for unrestricted contact," he explained.

The same campaign in Papua has also faced protests from some social workers, like Rika Kapisa from Pro Life Pondok Agape, which is engaged in antiabortion advocacy.

Rika claimed campaigning for condom use was like encouraging people to have sex.

She said that the proper method should be abstention from premarital or illicit sex and repentance.

In response, Karma said condoms should only be used as a last resort, while the avoidance of premarital or illicit sex remained essential in HIV/AIDS prevention.

Papua has only a small number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engaged in the prevention of HIV/AIDS, while the virus continues to spread through sexual contact, including with commercial sex workers.

Only 26 local and 10 foreign NGOs are involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Papua, meaning the dissemination of information to the public is very limited.

"Many people continue to have casual sex as they are ignorant of the dangers, while many of those who live in more isolated locations remain uninformed and even unaware that they might be infected.

"All parties involved in HIV/AIDS prevention should be involved in enlightening them," Rika said.