JP/6/YULIA

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.