No sex at Chiang Mai Games, please!: Azwar

No sex at Chiang Mai Games, please!: Azwar

JAKARTA (JP): A senior government official advised the entire
Indonesian sports team yesterday to refrain from sexual
activities during their stays in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for the
18th Southeast Asian Games.

"To all athletes, official and reporters, I say, please have
no sex there," Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar
Anas said. He was speaking to reporters after meeting with
President Soeharto at the State Palace yesterday.

Azwar also said that the use of condoms should not be
encouraged because they are not as safe as most people think.

The pores of latex, the elastic material from which condoms
are made, are 0.016 microns in diameter, while that of the Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes the dreaded Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), is 0.004. Condoms cannot give
full protection.

Azwar further warned that statistics show that HIV infects 74
of 100 people who use condoms anyway, Azwar said.

"Let alone, if you are in hurry, you may not take time to use
a condom. Condom-use campaigns are only meant for family
planning," he added.

Chiang Mai, the venue of the games which will be held from
Dec. 9 to Dec. 17, has had a very high AIDS prevalence rate for
six years. The games are held every two years.

Moh. Sarengat, one of KONI's deputy chairmen, pointed out that
about 80 percent of the prostitutes in Chiang Mai are infected
with the deadly virus and that 90 percent of the patients in
Chiang Mai's hospitals are AIDS patients. (arf)