Men, please take care of your reproductive health: Khofifah

Men, please take care of your reproductive health: Khofifah

JAKARTA (JP): Chairperson of the National Family Planning
Board Khofifah Indar Parawansa called on Friday for all
Indonesian men to improve their awareness of the health of their
reproductive system.

"A survey shows that men are a little unaware of health care
and are more reluctant to get medical treatment than women," she
said during a ceremony marking this year's World AIDS Day, which
bore the theme "Men Make A Difference".

According to Khofifah, who is also State Minister for Women
Empowerment, the lack of attention of Indonesian males to
seriously take care of their reproductive health has made them
prone to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome) infection.

"Based on the fact that men have more sex partners than women,
the disease is likely to infect more males than females (in this
country). Men are more likely to force themselves upon women and
women often have limited capacity to determine when, where and
whether sex takes place," the official said.

Therefore, the decision to name men as the focus of this
year's AIDS awareness campaign has been very appropriate and
significant, she told the crowd attending the ceremony at the
Nusantara Industrial Zone, in North Jakarta.

Also attending the ceremony, which is home to thousands of
factory workers, were, among others, Minister of Health and
Social Welfare Achmad Sujudi and Deputy Jakarta Governor on
People's Welfare Affairs Djaelani.

Official data disclosed that the number of those infected with
HIV and AIDS in this country has risen to an alarming level in
the past few years.

In the first 10 months alone, the number of new AIDS/HIV
infected people have more than doubled compared to the 225 cases
in all of last year.

Between January and October this year, the country recorded
478 new cases -- 314 HIV cases and 164 AIDS cases.

This brings the total number of HIV and AIDS carriers in
Indonesia to 1,521 people, with about 64 percent of them men.

But observers have suggested that the figure is just the tip
of an iceberg. The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
has said the number may already have reached some 52,000 people.

Minister Sujudi admitted that the data issued by his office
might bear weaknesses because it was compiled simply by taking
samples.

"We can't test each and every person. We only examined people
with high risks, such as prostitutes and blood donors," he said
during the ceremony.

As for the significant rise this year, several surveys
conducted by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and hospitals
show that the significant rise is due to an increase in the
number of drug users and the sharing of needles by intravenous
drug users (IDUs).

"Therefore, campaigns against HIV and AIDS should be
integrated as there is significant correlation between HIV/AIDS
and drug addicts," Khofifah said.

NGOs focusing on drug abuse or HIV/AIDS that are currently
conducting their campaigns independently should be integrated,
she added.

"Similar efforts should also be made at the National AIDS
Committee (KPA) and National Drugs Coordination Board (BKNN),"
the minister explained.

According to data from the ministry of health, Jakarta -- with
538 cases -- tops the list of cities with the biggest number of
HIV/AIDS-infected victims.

Out of 46 HIV cases recorded in Indonesia in October, for
example, 40 of them are found in Jakarta, and 22 of the 27 AIDS
cases were in the capital.

"Mostly IDUs," city official Djaelani said. (hdn)