IndonesiahasoneofthefastestgrowingratesofHIVtransmissioninAsia,butthemajorityofIndonesianyouthcouldnottellyouwhy.Datafromthecountry'shealthministryindicatesthatsome75percentofIndonesiansagedbetween15and49believeHIVistransmittedbymosquitoes.Likemanyofherpeers,AriyantiTarman,26,saysshedidnothaveanyformalsexeducationwhileinschool.???"Theonlythingcloseisbiologyclassanditwasaboutreproductionandthat'sit,"saidTarman."SoIgotinformationaboutsexandissuesrelatedtosexsuchasHIVandSTDsfromnewspapers,magazines,theInternetandalsofrommovies."Theworld'smostpopulousMuslimnationissociallyconservativeand,formany,discussingsexistaboo.But,amoreliberalapproachtosexisputtingpressureontraditionalattitudes.Arecentglobalsurveyfoundthatnearly40percentofIndonesianteenagershavehadsexandalmosthalfofthemdonotusecontraceptionwithnewpartners.Withthegovernmentreluctanttoimplementsexeducationintothenationalcurriculum,ZoyaAmirin,aprominentfemalesexpsychologist,istakingthematterintoherownhands.Amirinrecentlylaunchedaweeklyvideopodcastonissuesrelatedtosexualhealthandsaysshehopesitwillhelpfillintheknowledgegaps."Mostoftheresearchactuallyshowsthatmostofthepeoplelearnfromporn,askingfromtheirfriendsandtheybelieveinmyths,"saidAmirin."Thatisadangerousthing.Forinstance,theybelievethatwashingyourgenitalsafterhavingsex,especiallywithalcohol,canpreventyoufromgettingasexualtransmissioninfection."ThelackofbasicinformationaboutsexualhealthandtheprevalenceofmythsalsorunsparalleltothespreadofHIVacrossthecountry.TheNationalAIDSPreventionCommissionreportstherateofHIVinfectionsisontheriseinseveralprovinces,includingBengkulu,Papua,Maluku,AcehandBanten.Officialfiguresshowthatsome70,000IndonesiansareHIVpositive,butitisestimatedtherealfigurecouldbeashighas300,000.ForAryantiTarman,conservativeattitudesneedtocatchupwithmoderndayrealities."Ithinklotsofpeoplearesexuallyactiveeventhoughtheyarenotmarried,"addedTarman."Itseemsthatthesocietyingeneralisstilltryingtoignorethat.Theystillpretendthatitisnothappeningbutitishappening,so,like,youneedtodosomethingaboutitandmakesurethatiftheyoungpeopledoitatleasttheydoitsafely."Althoughthegovernmenthasbeenreluctanttointroducesexeducationintothecurriculum,non-traditionaleducatorslikeZoyaAmirinsaytheyareseeingachangeinpublicattitudes.Amirinsaysshehasreceivedanoverwhelmingresponsetoherweeklypodcastsandhasevenbeenpleasantlysurprisedbyreactionsfromreligiousconservatives.Whiledecliningtonamenames,AmirinsaysseveralprivateIslamicboardingschoolshavehiredhertoconductsexeducationworkshopsthisyear.
