TEMPO.CO, Grobogan - The Grobogan AIDS Commission in Central Java held a festive dangdut music concert at Purwodadi Bus Terminal among the noisy sounds of busses and smoke from mufflers on Tuesday, June 4. Bus passengers approached the stage to see a member of the Commission demonstrate on how to put on a condom.
Rina Nur Afni from the Grobogan AIDS Commission stated the bus terminal is the perfect place to socialize the prevention of the spread of HIV/ AIDS due to many reasons. "Over 60 percent of the people infected with HIV/ AIDS got it from workers who work out of town far away from their families," she said. Aside from that, the Commission can also target bus drivers and their crew.
They handed out 2,000 condoms in busses to the drivers, passengers, and bus crew. They also handed out condoms to passengers at the ticket booths.
Data from the commission reveals that from 2002 to 2012, Grobogan suffered an increase of people infected with HIV/ AIDS. Grobogan is currently the fifth highest district consisting of the most people infected with HIV/ AIDS in Central Java. In the past ten years, a total of 304 people were infected killing 66. In 2012 alone, there were 87 reported cases with 13 dead.
"From January until March 2013, 14 new cases were reported and 81.9 percent of the cause of the spread of the disease is due to multiple sexual partners," said Rina.
BANDELAN AMARUDIN
