JP/6/YULIA
Indonesia in danger of HIV/AIDS explosion in 2005
Yulia Wardhani Jakarta
There has recently been a shift in the perception of HIV/AIDS that has accompanied the increasing number of intravenous drug users (IDUs) who have become HIV positive.
I was recently lecturing on the dangers of illegal drugs and HIV/AIDS at a leading high school in Jakarta when a student asked: "My brother is HIV positive. Can he be cured?"
There were no hints of gloom, fear or embarrassment on the student's face. There was only the curiosity about his brother's prospects for recovery -- the hope that his brother could again be smiling.
Can HIV/AIDS be cured? It is a classic question that I have been asked hundreds of times in the course of meeting with students. Before answering it, a brief description of HIV/AIDS is necessary.
AIDS is not inherited. It is caused by a virus called HIV, or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which can enter the body via sexual contact, sharing contaminated needles or contaminated blood or blood tissues.
Formerly, the main entry point for the virus was sexual contact. But at present it is shifting toward IDUs sharing needles. The Pelita Ilmu Foundation conducted a recent survey involving 500 drug users, and the majority of them were found to be HIV positive. Consider the large number of IDUs in the country and you can imagine the extent of HIV infection.
HIV/AIDS cannot be spread by shaking hands, kissing or by sitting on a toilet. Therefore, there is no reason to isolate those living with HIV/AIDS or fear interaction with infected people.
About two months after becoming HIV positive, a person will show the following symptoms: fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, joint and muscle pain, headaches, skin rashes and swollen lymphatic glands. However, the person will still look healthy. You cannot identify a person who is HIV positive just by looking at them.
Can HIV/AIDS be cured? The answer is not certain, depending on research being done by the experts. There are anti-viral medicines, but they only prevent the virus from spreading. These drugs, however, do not kill the virus, and they are fairly expensive.
With the increasing number of drug users and the rising rate of HIV/AIDS cases, experts fear Indonesia could experience an explosion of HIV/AIDS.
What lies ahead for the country? Unless the government and all of us respond to this situation, in the next 15 to 20 years Indonesia may rank second only behind Thailand in the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the region.
The nation's future could be at risk by an explosion of HIV/AIDS. Socioeconomic conditions will deteriorate the more people in the productive age group are HIV positive, and as the government allocates larger and larger amounts of money to try and control HIV/AIDS.
What can be done? We can start promoting a healthy lifestyle. Encourage safe sex and the correct use of condoms. Screen all blood used in transfusions and reduce the negative impacts of intravenous drug use, while giving treatment, care and social support to people living with HIV/AIDS. Education, information and training to prevent drug abuse, unsafe sex and HIV/AIDS should be pursued, along with treatment research and development.
The writer is a lecturer at the St. Carolus School of Nursing in Jakarta.