'We shouldn't worry about it'

People living with HIV/AIDS often come up against discrimination rather than understanding. With an estimated figure of between 80,000 and 130,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Indonesia, and that figure continuing to grow, it is time for the public to acknowledge the real face of the virus. In commemorating World AIDS Day, which falls on Dec. 1, The Jakarta Post asked some citizens to think about the issue and respond.

Askari, 35, supervises the food and beverages division of a hotel in Slipi, West Jakarta. He lives with his parents in Condet, East Jakarta:

I work in a hotel. I have to interact with numerous guests of different backgrounds on a daily basis. It is possible that one of them is infected with the virus. However, since I know exactly how HIV is transmitted from one individual to another, I have nothing to worry about. If I friend or a relative became HIV positive, I would pray for them and treat them just the same as I did before.

Unless we share a needle or sleep with an HIV positive person, we don't have any reason to worry, right?

Bertha, 24, is an employee of PT Jamsostek on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta. She lives with her parents in Manggarai, also in South Jakarta:

Honestly, I don't know much about HIV/AIDS, and I wouldn't know what to do if one of my friends or relatives tested positive. I know that HIV doesn't spread through the air or food. So, I guess I would try to treat him or her as usual.

Although I have been told that it is safe to be close to people living with HIV/AIDS, I am still worried that very close contact could endanger me. If one of my close friends or relatives was infected with the virus, nothing would be the same again -- no matter how hard I tried to treat them normally.

If my friend was HIV positive, I would learn more about it to anticipate the consequences, and to enable myself to deal with the situation without hurting their feelings.

-- The Jakarta Post