Commercial sex workers have been found roaming some of Bali's more remote villages, increasing the possibility of a wider spread of HIV, a report from the Bali Regional AIDS Commission (KPA) revealed Friday.

Yahya Hanshori, program coordinator at the Bali Regional AIDS Commission who works with the island's HIV-infected former sex workers, said sex workers began working in Bali's villages after public order officers tightened their grip on the island's cities.

Yahya, who delivered the report at the KPA office in Denpasar, said the condition had forced sex workers to develop new ways to receive income, including by stationing themselves in areas that were not as fiercely monitored.

"But sadly, this only increases the possibility of a wider spread of HIV because villagers are even less aware of sexually transmitted diseases than city people,"he said.

"This is a really, really troubling development."

According to the report, only 20 percent out of the estimated 3,000 sex workers in Bali use condoms during intercourse, which,Yahya said, led to an HIV infection rate of 840 males who pay for sex services each year.

Yahya, who could not specify how many sex workers had been found in villages or the name of the villages, said the commission would continue to monitor these sex workers while offering free counseling on the prevention of HIV infection to anyone.

"Obviously we are trying to work together with sex workers and those key population groups who are most prone to HIV infection,"Yahya said.

"We simply do not want this disease to hit anyone, so I urge those who feel like they need counseling to come to the KPA,"he said.

Bali still struggles to contain HIV because the island is known as a destination spot for tourists looking for sex workers. The sex industry continues to thrive due to the island's popularity with tourists and its dependency on the tourism industry.

The government established the KPA to contain the spread of HIV by offering free contraception and education on sexually transmitted diseases to sex workers and drug users, another population group prone to HIV infection.

The report, which is based on interviews and monthly reports from Bali's hospitals, further revealed there were a total of 2,323 known cases of HIV infection on the island in September this year.

Heterosexuals and people in the age group of between 20 and 29 make up the largest number of people known to be infected with HIV, while Injected Drug Users and people in the age group of between 30 and 39 make up the second largest group.

The KPA has estimated that there are actually more than 4,000 people living with HIV or AIDS in Bali.

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