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)