20 New HIV Cases Detected In Ambon Early 2023

Illustration. A mother queues for HIV tests at the Semen Health Center, Kediri, East Java, December 2021. (Between-Prasetia F)

MALUKU - The Maluku Rainbow Foundation revealed that it had handled 20 cases of HIV/AIDS in Ambon City from January to February 2023.

"In our institution, we have our own clinic specifically for handling HIV, and data at the clinic, from January to February this year, we have found approximately 20 new HIV cases," said the staff for the Pelangi Maluku Foundation program, Alfin Siahaya in Ambon, Maluku, Thursday, March 10, quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, during 2022, the Pelangi Foundation will handle approximately 53 cases of people infected with HIV. That's a new case that we will handle during 2022. Indeed, between men and women, men are still higher than women," he said.

According to him, the increase in HIV continues to occur and increases due to the frequent factor of blood testing on the community, so that it is known that the person has HIV.

"It's someone who knows that he has HIV or other sexual illness that must go through a blood test. So we are increasingly taking tests from communities that are at risk, as well as the general public, the number of cases is increasing," said Alfin.

Alfin said that the more infected HIV cases are found in the community, the better it will be for intervention by providing treatment. So that it will make it easier to reduce the number of infections.

"So if someone asks why socialization continues, but the number of cases continues to rise, it should be less. That's actually good. Why do I say it's good, because that way we can intervene more easily," he said.

He hopes that education related to sex and handling of HIV will continue to be carried out, to the community and children at school. This is to prevent the transmission of HIV from an early age.

"So that they understand that it can be sustainable, in the end they can prevent it from an early age regarding HIV transmission and other sexual factors infections," he concluded.