HIV/AIDS Attack Productive Youth in South Kalimantan

By Ulul Maskuriah

Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Antaranews) - Cases of HIV/AIDS in South Kalimantan from year to year continues to increase and is now attacking productive generation, aged between 20-39 years.

Head of South Kalimantan Health Agency Achmad Rudiansjah here on Tuesday said the highly case of HIV/AIDS on the productive age because of lack of knowledge about prevention and transmission of the deadly disease.

"In addition, due to the higher culture of permissiveness toward behavior that violates the norms of religion and culture," he said.

Based on data from 2002 to 2013, the number of cases of HIV/AIDS that infected 20-29 years aged as many as 320 cases, aged 30-39 (228 cases), age 40-49 (83), age 50-59 (22), age 15-19 (14), age 60 (2), and unidentified as many as 110 cases.

The data is quite alarming , as many as 14 infants are also exposed to a disease that attacks the human immune system.

Not only in South Kalimantan, HIV/AIDS has also attacked some residents in the province of Central Kalimantan. Totally as many as 793 cases of HIV/AIDS in South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan, consisting of 446 HIV cases and 347 AIDS cases. The amount is believed to only a portion of the total cases.

The big five cases of HIV- AIDS in South Kalimantan are Banjarmasin 242 cases, Tanah Bumbu 232 cases, Banjabaru 89 cases, 48 cases in Kotabaru and Banjar 27 cases.

Rudiansjah said the high cases found and reported showed more effective and active of HIV/AIDS program in the district and city. So it managed to pry estimate "iceberg" that is hidden in the area. In addition, public awareness is also higher for checking themselves through VCT and HIV testing.