M

ore married women in the city were infected with HIV and AIDS in 2011, Jakarta AIDS Prevention Commission (KPAP) says.

KPAP secretary Rohana Manggala said that 345 housewives contracted HIV/AIDS last year, a 55 percent jump from 2010.

“HIV and AIDS are now spreading to general population, including to mothers and babies, not only the high risk population. Last year, there were 693 HIV and AIDS cases found in women, 345 of whom were simple housewives,” she said.

Key populations for HIV/AIDS are drug users, prostitutes, transvestites, homosexuals, and heterosexual males who associate with prostitutes.

In total, the commission reported that there were 5,555 HIV/AIDS cases found among housewives and babies last year, up from 4,282 cases recorded in 2010. While in 2009, there were 2,849 housewives infected by HIV/AIDS, higher than 2,072 cases in 2008.

Santi Sardi from the Indonesian Family Planning Association (PKBI) said that the fact was surprising as the increase was higher than the increase recorded among sex workers.

“Most of the housewives are infected because of their husbands’ heterosexual behavior. Nationwide, there are 3.1 million heterosexual men, 1.9 million of whom are married men,” she said, adding that Jakarta became the biggest contributor to the total figure in the country.

However, based on profession, housewives were the second-most infected demographic, while private employees top the list, with 680 cases found last year. In the third place was self-employed individual with 297 cases.

In 2011, the total figure of new HIV and AIDS cases in Jakarta was 2,605.

Rohana said that 20 percent of the cases were found in East Jakarta, 17 percent in West Jakarta, 15 percent in Central Jakarta, 11 percent in South Jakarta and 10 percent in North Jakarta.

Data collected by the commission last year also showed that 1,380 heterosexuals were at the highest risk of being infected by HIV/AIDS, followed by drug users at 1,004, and 74 others were bisexuals. KPAP also said that in the city, 81 percent of the HIV/AIDS cases were found in individuals between 25-44 years old, followed by those above 45 years old at 11 percent.

Rohana said that to curb the high transmission of HIV and AIDS in the city, the commission had set up posts that offer various programs, including counseling, therapy, prevention for mother to child transmission, and treatment.

Nationwide, Jakarta had the most people testing HIV positive last year.