Even though sex is still taboo to many Indonesians, the government of this archipelagic country has recently taken a significant step towards curbing the spread of the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases.
The recent plan of the Indonesian government to promote ‘National Condom’ program as a means of promoting the use of condom indeed deserves a thumbs-up.
Nevertheless, this government should not avoid the fact that there are still many people cannot afford to buy condom. Therefore, it is substantial that Indonesia provide access to affordably good quality of condom in the communities, particularly among the poor, throughout the nation.
Recent data shows an estimated 170,000 to 210,000 of Indonesia’s 220 million people have been living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of those infected by the diseases are generally people engaged in prostitution, homosexuality and injecting drugs. The latter is considered the most risky since many of the injecting drug users said to have been exposed to an unprotected carnal knowledge in addition to sharing needle.