Sex workers join anti-AIDS campaign

JAKARTA (JP): Sex workers and gay activists will stage a play and music performances at Graha Bakti Budaya, Taman Ismail Marzuki in Central Jakarta on Oct. 21.

"The performance is a part of campaign against AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome)," said Gindi Marina, spokesperson for the organizer.

Apart from the working girls of the Kramat Tunggak red-light district, North Jakarta, and the activists, students will also take part in the shows, which will also feature an AIDS exhibition.

The event is being organized by the Kusuma Buana and Mitra Indonesia foundations in cooperation with the City Health Office, the National Family Planning Coordinating Board and the Ciptomangunkusumo hospital.

"We want to use art works in our anti-AIDS campaign," Gindi told The Jakarta Post yesterday, adding that several organizations will take part in the program, including the Pelita Ilmu foundation, Indonesia AIDS foundation, Pelopor Maju Mandiri foundation, the AIDS study group of Ciptomangunkusumo hospital, and the privately-owned Family Planning Association.

"We hope that the involvement of the sex workers in the campaign will trigger other people to be more aware of the lethal virus."

While the public is now accepting AIDS sufferers as they are, she criticized the hospitals that continue to forbid treatment to AIDS patients.

Last month the private Medistra hospital refused to accept several AIDS patients and prohibited its doctors from treating them.

Preventing the spread of AIDS, which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, has become the cause of several activists and organizations.

Two weeks ago the Pelita Ilmu foundation inaugurated an AIDS clinic on Jl. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII Q no. 6, South Jakarta. The clinic provides AIDS consultation and blood testing.

Jakarta has Indonesia's highest number of AIDS/HIV-infected people. The latest Ministry of Health data has 61 HIV-positive and 44 AIDS sufferers listed in the city.

By comparison, there are 22 HIV-positive and 11 AIDS sufferers in Bali (second), while in West Java (third) there are eight AIDS sufferers and six who have tested HIV-positive.(29)