Since the government decided to
close down brothels, such as Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta, sex workers are
using the streets as their new bordellos.
Aldo, program coordinator with
the Indonesian Sex Workers Organization (OPSI), told The Jakarta Post that the
women were particularly prone to becoming infected with the HIV virus. Once
infected, it was likely they would spread HIV among their clients. “These women
have a very low bargaining position when it comes to safe sex. Their customers
can easily find another sex worker who doesn’t demand protected sex,” said
Aldo.
A newly published United Nations
report shows that the rate of new HIV infections in Indonesia increased by more
than 25 percent between 2001 and 2011. Meanwhile, the country’s HIV-prevention
programs only reached 25 percent of the total number of sex workers and males
who have sex with males (MSM).
Consistent condom use,
particularly within high-risk groups, remains low. Data from the National AIDS
Commission (KPA) shows that only around 40 percent of sex workers regularly use
condoms.
As of October, the commission had
distributed 10 million free condoms to sex workers and other at-risk
populations.
“In fighting the disease, we
focus our work on promoting the consistent use of condoms to high-risk
communities where transactional sex often occurs,” said KPA secretary Kemal
Siregar.
Citing an example, he said that
in a meeting held by the West Jakarta administration on Thursday, the KPA
informed local sex workers about the risks of unsafe sex. Owners of at least
200 entertainment centers located in the Taman Sari area, such as karaoke
clubs, spas, discos and night clubs, attended the meeting.
Around 2,000 of the total 6,000
sex workers in West Jakarta belong to entertainment clubs in Taman Sari.
“At the meeting, we urged all
stakeholders in the entertainment industry – not only the sex workers but also
procurers and others who make a profit from the industry – to follow the
existing advice on condom use, required in any sexual encounter,” said Kemal.
However, persuading those at risk
about the importance of using condoms is not easy, especially given the ongoing
myth that wearing a condom reduces sexual pleasure.
In 2011, the rate of condom use
among sex workers declined to 61 percent from 68 percent in 2007. Only 68
percent of MSMs said they had used a condom in their most recent commercial-sex
encounters, down from 69 percent in 2007, according to the Biology and Behavior
Survey (STBP) in 2011.
With such low figures on condom
use, Health Minister Nafsiah Mboi said it was not surprising that the country
had a high infection rate. “It’s nonsense that we will be able to prevent the
infection rate from soaring if the use of condoms stands at only 30-40
percent,” she said
Source: The Jakarta Post/Asia
News Network
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