Local HIV/AIDS info

In Indonesia over 20 million people (9% of the population) are between 15-19 years of age and 62 million (30%) between 10-24. In recent years, Indonesia has faced enormous social change in terms of socialization between the sexes before marriage. This has been marked by delayed age at first marriage, more freedom of spousal choice, an increasing number of love marriages, delayed birth of the first child, and increasing freedom. Although young Indonesians are freer to engage with the opposite sex, problems occur because they still have to cope with a lengthy period of strong sexual drive before marriage and girls try to meet the value of "staying a virgin until marriage."  Pre-marital sex, though traditionally not widely accepted, is not uncommon in Indonesia. Currently Indonesian youth, lacking accurate and appropriate information and access to services, are ill-prepared to cope with these challenges.

The HIV epidemic in Indonesia is among the fastest growing in Asia (2,682 cases in 2004; 19,973 in 2009). Unsafe heterosexual practice is the most important cause of infections and HIV is a real threat for young people: those in the 20-29 age groups have the highest risk.  However, in spite of the high risk of HIV infection and evidence of extensive sexual networks, national HIV programs in Indonesia have been slow to address sexual diversity in prevention and treatment efforts. This neglect is largely a product of denial, stigma, discrimination, and criminalization.

Young people are poorly informed because sexuality education is not formally taught at school; communication with parents is rare because of cultural, psychological and communication problems; talking about sex in public is still a taboo. The resulting risky behaviours lead to unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortion, STIs (including HIV/AIDS) and sexual violence.