They play it unsafe in Surakarta

They play it unsafe in Surakarta

Surakarta, Central Java (JP): Health Warning: The Silir red light district is a health hazard because 93 percent of its customers do not wear condoms.

This was the advice of doctor Guntur Hermawan, a medical expert at Solo's Sebelas Maret University, when he presented the findings of his recent research on prostitution yesterday.

Guntur said virtually none of the women who live in the houses of ill repute are aware of the importance of condom use, despite repeated encouragement from the local government.

"The prostitutes just don't care about having their customers wear condoms even though many of them do know about the danger of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is easily spread in brothels," he said.

Silir has an official permit to operate in this ancient city, which is one of Java's major tourist destinations.

Guntur said only five percent of the prostitutes in the brothel claimed complete ignorance of the deadly AIDS.

Local information campaigns about safe sex have been inspired by the experience in Thailand, Australia and Hong Kong regarding the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, he added. (har/pan)