Surabaya launches teen awareness drive on HIV/AIDS

I.D Nugroho , youthspeak - The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 08/23/2008 12:27 PM | Education

Hundreds of teenagers from junior and senior high schools attended an event to vote for student ambassadors to represent Surabaya Stop AIDS at their schools.


JAKARTA-BASED soap opera stars and Close-Up ambassadors Christian Sugiono and Rianti Cartwright energized the event, which was organized by the Surabaya municipal administration, the Unilever Peduli (cares) Foundation and the Spektra provincial nongovernmental organization. Officiating the event was Arif Affandi, the Deputy Mayor of Surabaya and the chairman of the AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA). The teen audience was particularly enthusiastic whenever Christian and Rianti came on stage.

HIV is a virus that attacks the human immune system. This virus can infect other humans through direct exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood through shared needles among drug users, reproductive fluids (sperm and vaginal fluids) through sexual intercourse and breast milk through breastfeeding by an infected woman.

AIDS is a disease that is caused by HIV infection and is characterized by a severe loss of immunity and resistance to infection. AIDS develops within five to 10 years after initial infection by HIV. At present, no cure exists for either HIV or AIDS. In his speech, Arif Affandi said the East Java capital has 1,247 active Stop AIDS ambassadors representing several different schools.

The student ambassadors are tasked with explaining the HIV/AIDS issue to their peers and other teens at their respective schools, and are critical in raising awareness of HIV/AIDS in a school environment. Data provided by the City Health Office show that 2,350 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Surabaya. Nearly 49 percent of these are aged between 20 and 29 years old. “That is why Stop AIDS (student) ambassadors are crucial in the awareness effort,” said Arif.

At the event, Karina Putri Andriyani from SMPN 22 and Fikri Audy Hamzani from SMPN 38 were voted in as junior high student ambassadors. Meanwhile, Widianti Pratidiana from SMAN 10 and Ayu Novi Sari from SMAN 21 were voted in as senior high student ambassadors. Surabaya Stop AIDS generally organizes a series of activities under their KIE (campaign, information and education) program. School Volunteer Teams carry out these activities in health education classes for each grade level.

The KIE awareness programs are also conducted as a National Scouts project or as part of graduation events for both junior and senior high schools. Such occasions provide a platform for reaching out to parents with teenaged children as well. The group also holds formal and informal discussions featuring Stop AIDS ambassadors. Many other events are held to improve teens’ awareness of HIV/AIDS, including poetry readings, posters, cartoons and T-shirts, stickers and pins, as well as drama performances with HIV/AIDS themes.