JP/18/HVAIDS

JP/18/HVAIDS

HIV/AIDS threatens Papuan tribes with extinction

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.