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Jakarta Post

Your letters: Promoting condoms over abstinence

A campaign to promote safe sex through the use of condoms has again erupted into a heated debate

The Jakarta Post
Sat, December 21, 2013

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Your letters: Promoting condoms over abstinence

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campaign to promote safe sex through the use of condoms has again erupted into a heated debate.

Again, the alleged distribution of free condoms around university campuses and the exploitation of obnoxious and sensational imagery to advertise the campaign drew ire. Influential religious and conservative groups alike have come out in chorus accusing the campaign of promoting pre-marital sex.

It'€™s like watching a bad drama over and over. Related parties have seem to have suffered annual amnesia since the inception of the program in 2007.

The intention is noble, to prevent the spread of the killer virus, HIV/AIDS, according to 2012 statistics, there are 591,823 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Indonesia. Not to mention Indonesia is one of nine countries where the number of new infections continues to rise steadily, increasing by more than 25 percent between 2001 and 2011 according to the 2012 Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

It is also noteworthy that youths constitute 30 percent of the people most at risk, including sex workers, sexual minorities and intravenous drug users. Thus, these groups are targets of the campaign.

The virus spreads far more quickly through sexual intercourse than drug use and trying to find a solution to the spread of this dreadful epidemic poses a daunting and challenging task in the world'€™s most populous Muslim nation. The government is doing what it can to stem the spread of the virus up to supporting the use of condom despite protestations from religious and conservative groups.

I support the promotion of the use of condoms among '€œhigh-risk groups'€, particularly for commercial sexual workers '€” because, like it or not, it is almost impossible to stop this lucrative business '€” as their work is closely associated with the killer virus, but not the general population.

Nonetheless, the question remains how to promote the campaign with less provocative posters and measures so that it is well-targeted. What is more, is condom distribution among high risk groups more effective than abstinence?

In my personal view, education is vital. Extensive and continuous public education about the devastating effects of HIV should widely be advocated.

As well as educating the public, promoting and supporting abstinence for those yet-to marry and faithfulness among the married is the best option in Indonesia, which follows religious beliefs and eastern values.

It maddens me to think that unfaithful husbands cheat on their wives with multiple sexual partners. Women are easy preys to such irresponsible and depraved predators.

Yuni Herlina
Depok, West java

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