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here are more than 580 HIV-positive people in Buleleng regency, are aged between 20 and 40 years, chairman of the Buleleng AIDS Commission (KPAD) Made Arga Pynatih said Monday.

"Some of them are even below 20 years old," said Pynatih, who is also the deputy regent of Buleleng.

Pynatih was speaking at a oneday campaign on HIV/AIDS pre-vention and awareness, targeting junior and senior high school students in Singaraja and neighboring areas.

Around 150 students and teachers participated in the workshop.

They were part of a students' association concerned with drug use and HIV/AIDS related issues.

Drug use, HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health problems are prevalent among young people, including teenage students.

The association runs various activities with the aim of increasing awareness of these issues among their peers, especially among groups susceptible to drug consumption and sexually transmitted diseases.

Pynatih urged school principals to actively support student access to accurate information about drugs, HIV/AIDS and other health problems. "We are facing a more difficult period with much more challenging problems," he said.