Ridwan Max Sijabat and Niken Prathivi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 08/15/2009 1:25 PM
The National AIDS Commission (KPA) rejected the proposed mandatory HIV test for migrant workers, saying it was against human rights but proposed the so-called Provider Initiated Counseling and Testing (PICT) as an alternative.
The commission made the statement on Friday in correction of the previous story that appeared on Thursday in The Jakarta Post, titled "Proposed mandatory HIV test for migrant workers hailed".
Nafsiah said migrant workers had the same rights as non-migrant workers to know their HIV status and access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment service.
She admitted during the recent ICAAP symposium in Nusa Dua, Bali, on Wednesday, she had proposed PICT as an alternative to mandatory testing for migrant workers which was offering HIV testing with three criteria, namely pre- and post-test counseling, confidentiality and informed consent.
According to her, the PICT should be conducted in accordance with the guidelines of WHO-UNAIDS and the Indonesian Health Ministry.
"After receiving information and counseling, test participants *in this case potential workers* retain their rights the HIV testing or not."
Indonesia sends around 300,000 monthly to work overseas, including Malaysia and Middle East and most are employed as housemaids. Thousands of Indonesian migrants have been repatriated after they were nabbed in raids in entertainment centers overseas.
Nafsiah also said in the symposium that in no way should prospective migrant workers be discriminated against on the basis of their HIV status. All relevant sides were required to keep the confidentiality of the test's result and the latter could not be used to prevent people from working overseas.
During the congress, Nafsiah who co-chaired the four-day congress, also expressed her deep concerns over the reality that HIV has infected women with low-risk lifestyles, mainly housewives and this had to do with their husbands buying sex.
"We also find HIV/AIDS transmission among domestic and overseas migrant workers. For male workers, the transmission is mostly caused by their unsafe lifestyle, such as prostitution, drugs abuses and male-to-male sexual intercourses," she said, adding around 12 million men in this country favored to commercial sex, and most refused to use condoms.
Female sex workers have been also vulnerable to HIV infections mainly because they were powerless and had no bargaining positions in facing their clients.
Indonesia has around 23,600 HIV/AIDS cases nationwide but the KPA estimated the figure has reached 270,000 and the majority cases were found in Jakarta, West Java, East Java and Papua.
Nafsiah also called on the national media to play an active role in the HIV/AIDS prevention programs by reaching sex workers and their clients.
