Wives remain victims of sexual diseases

JAKARTA (JP): Sexually transmitted diseases are prevalent among ordinary housewives in Indonesia, a private foundation has found, further destroying the myth that a disease like AIDS is only a threat to people in the so-called "high risk" categories.

A survey by the Kusuma Buana Foundation made a disturbing finding that nearly 30 percent of 6,666 women tested, mostly housewives aged between 25 and 45 years old, have at one time or another contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

The survey was based on a collection of data taken over seven years from women who visited six clinics under the aegis of the foundation for pap-smear tests.

Considering their fairly routine occupations, "it is shocking to find that 29.3 percent of them tested positive for STD," commented Adi Sasongko, the foundation's director for health care, to The Jakarta Post

Those taking the tests were full-time housewives, private company employees, and civil servants, including teachers. Most were considered 'low-risk' with respect to the likelihood of contracting any form of sexually transmitted disease.

A total of 1,955 respondents, according to the survey, suffered from trichomonas vaginalis, candida albicans, leptothrix and gonorrhea.

Adi believes most of them contracted the virus from their husbands, but added that: "It is not impossible that they were infected by other men. We don't know for sure."

The fact that so many women in this group tested positive shows that the sexual behavior of many Indonesians exposes them to all sexual diseases, including the AIDS virus.

He said the government should face up to the reality that Indonesian sexual behavior is not all that "different" from other nations. "This should also serve as a warning that AIDS could enter and spread rapidly throughout this country," Adi said.

The Kusuma Buana Foundation has been intensifying its campaign against sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, by emphasizing the dangers of changing sexual partners.

The foundation also took its campaign to the red light districts early this year and has targeted the estimated 2,500 sex workers in the notorious Kramat Tunggak district, North Jakarta.

The campaign is intended to inform the prostitutes of the health hazards of their profession.

The survey from the pap-smear tests also showed that five women suffered from cervical cancer (carcinoma cervix) and 137 others were "pre-cancerous", according to Adi.

The clinics could do nothing for the cancer cases as there is no effective cure and because therapy is very expensive. But for the pre-cancer cases, development of cancer was preventable.

Adi said it was high time to inform all women about the need to take pap-smear tests for early detection, thus sparing them from the high costs of treatment and therapy.

Building a costly hospital like the Dharmais Cancer Hospital is not enough, Adi said. The construction of the hospital, which is located in West Jakarta, was built at a cost of Rp 3 trillion (US$1.36 billion).

"The use of Rp 3 trillion to build the hospital was a national tragedy. The funds could have been used to develop programs which are more effective and useful for people, like a campaign on the need to take pap-smear tests," he said.

He said the facility at present is not yet accessible for most people as hospitals charges Rp 50,000 per test.

Kusuma Buana Foundation, in cooperation with a number of pathologists, charges only Rp 7,500.

Adi criticized the government for improperly allocating limited health funds to the construction of sophisticated hospitals instead of improving the health conditions at a grass- root level.

He questioned, for example, the building of the new Jakarta Haj Hospital at a cost of Rp 23.4 billion ($10.6 million).

"It is completely wrong to think that the health condition of the hajs will improve with the existence of the hospitals. How many hajs can make use of the facilities?" Adi asked.

The authorities instead could have used the money to improve the facilities and services of community health centers, because many hajs come from villages and small towns. (sim)