Needle swapping, top HIV/AIDS risk in RI

Needle swapping, top HIV/AIDS risk in RI

David and Joyce Djaelani GordonDirectors of Yayasan
Harapan Permata Hati Kita Drug Recovery Center
and Community
Ciawi, Bogor

Only a few years ago Indonesia was passed over by the World
Health Organization (WHO) as a high-concern country predicted to
have an outbreak of HIV/AIDS.

Today, Indonesia is on the list of countries experiencing a
major outbreak of HIV/AIDS. New official reports exclaim, "there
are at least (the actual figure is much higher) 120,000 people
currently infected with HIV/AIDS".

Out of the estimated 120,000 infected with HIV/AIDS, 43,000
are intravenous drug users.

A few years ago, Indonesia felt there was now risk of a real
problem with drug abuse and drug addiction. Now there are an
estimated four million drug addicts across the country. Most of
the addicts/junkies are aged between 14 and 28 with the highest
percentage between 18 and 24 years old.

Today it is easy to buy putaw (heroin), shabu
(methamphetamine), ecstasy and marijuana, in addition to various
pills (depressants and amphetamines) in most junior high schools,
high schools and universities across the country. Parents and
teachers are becoming frantic about how to deal with the drug
problems found at home and within schools. Putaw remains the favorite drug for the addicts. More and more
youths are using and sharing needles while using this drug.

Needle use and sharing is often seen to be a ritual, and a
rite of passage. Many youths are coerced by their peers to try
this needle ritual for fun and excitement and to enable them to
be a part of the group.

Approximately 75 percent of addicts in the Greater Jakarta
area are using and sharing needles today, compared to 15 percent
back in 1995.

Those young people do not realize that sharing needles is the
most effective way of becoming infected and spreading the
HIV/AIDS virus. Drug use, drug abuse and drug addiction, needle use and needle
sharing are all growing at uncontrollable rates here. And the
drug user community is today the number one community being
infected and spreading HIV/AIDS, not to mention Hepatitis C. In addition to drug addicts, sex workers -- both male and
female -- are now also infected with HIV/AIDS. In recent
findings, 3 to 6 percent nationwide, or approximately 8,000 sex
workers, are infected with HIV/AIDS.

There are up to 300,000 sex workers in the country, many of
whom are under 18-years-old. The number of young men involved in
the sex industry is also growing.

A few years ago, Indonesia had no fears of an outbreak of
HIV/AIDS within the heterosexual population. But it is different
now as more men and women, particularly women, from the general
population are testing positive for HIV/AIDS.

Why?

Because boyfriends and husbands are having sexual encounters
with sex workers, who are HIV/AIDS positive and then infecting
their monogamous female partners back home. It is important to notice that sexual transmission is the
second most efficient way to become infected and spread HIV/AIDS. Intravenous drug users and sex workers are two main groups
that need direct assistance. Various education campaigns on the
risks involved with drugs and sex are also needed immediately. It
is too bad that the national program on this issue remains in the
planning stage. To this day, there is still not one hospital in
the country that specifically administers to people infected with
HIV, AIDS, Hepatitis C or Tuberculosis.

Drug Addiction and HIV/AIDS are moving so fast that we cannot
possibly curb either epidemic. What we can do is to act. The
government, for many reasons, is still bogged down with
monumental problems, while we, the community, have lots of things
that we can do.

Firstly we must educate ourselves, our families and our
children's schools before holding a community or school meeting.
Then we are ready to act.