Information, not condoms in hotels

Information, not condoms in hotels

JAKARTA (JP): The government has ruled out the suggestion of
providing free condoms in every hotel room as part of its anti-
AIDS drive. Instead, it urged hotels to put leaflets on the
danger of AIDS in every room.

Director General of Tourism Andi Mappi Sameng said that while
from the medical point of view the use of condoms is good to
prevent the spread of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome,
promoting their use could send the wrong message to the public.

"The idea of providing condoms in hotel rooms could give
people the impression that the government is condoning
prostitution," he was quoted as saying by Antara on Tuesday.

The plan could also harm the image of the hotels, he added.

"We've got to understand that our people have strong religious
and cultural values," he said, during a workshop on AIDS which
included government officials involved in the tourism industry.

A better way to promote AIDS awareness is to provide
information, he said.

Andi said that many people in Indonesia still believe that
foreign tourists brought AIDS to Indonesia.

"This perception is not entirely wrong, but it is not really
accurate either, because the virus spreads through sexual
contacts, particularly among promiscuous people," he said.

Similar workshops are being planned for executives and workers
in the industry, Andi said. (emb)