Call to carry condoms
PETALING JAYA: In view of the rising number of women contracting HIV, every woman should carry a condom with her for her own protection, said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad.
“This is not to debase them but to protect them. Women are the first ones to get exploited by their partners. But this is just a suggestion, it’s up to them,” he told the press after delivering his speech at the International AIDS Memorial Day here yesterday.
Remembering the dead: Participants of the AIDS Memorial Day celebration lighting candles in memory of those who had died of the disease in Petaling Jaya yesterday. It was the first time that the International AIDS Memorial Day was celebrated openly in Malaysia. The celebration was attended by about 1,000 people.
According to Health Ministry figures, 745 women contracted HIV last year. It is a slight dip compared to 2006 (875), but the general trend is that the numbers are on the rise.
As for AIDS cases, 193 women were diagnosed with the syndrome, and 131 women died from it, while in 2006, 222 women were diagnosed positive and 80 died from it.
Malaysian AIDS Council president Prof Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said apart from sex workers, many women who contracted HIV were housewives, infected unknowingly by their husbands who could be drug addicts.
“It’s not that people don’t know that condoms can protect them. But there are some men who do not care to take the precaution even though they know they have HIV.”
The figures also showed that last year alone, three people died of AIDS each day in Malaysia.
By ethnicity breakdown, Malays recorded the highest number of HIV sufferers (58,267 in total), followed by Chinese (11,886), Indians (6,532) and foreigners (2,722).
“One reason why Malays are the highest (recorded) is because of our large population. But it’s also because of the high number of injecting drug users.
“I urge the Malay leaders and the Malay non-governmental organisations to come forward to champion this cause,” Dr Abdul Latiff said.
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On the one hand, I'm really pleased that a Malay Muslim politician has actually come out to talk about condoms in a positive way. Very courageous of him indeed.
On the other hand however, he seems to forget that it is one thing to carry condoms, it's quite another thing to get the guy to use them. In a small study among HIV-discordant couples ( ie one partner is HIV+ and one isn't) at HKL several years ago, it was found that even when couples knew of the danger of infecting the other person with HIV, the man does not use the condom. This was particularly true among Malay couples. Even when it is the man who is at risk, he won't use the condom. Last year my colleague at UM did a small survey among HIV-discordant couples in Kelantan where the wife was HIV+ and the husband not. Even in those cases, condom use was irregular and the women felt unable to insist in case their husbands got angry with them.The other issue is that having a condom in one's handbag is often used as evidence by the police that one is soliciting ( which is a crime). Thus, unless we're supposed to all carry letters from Dr Latiff saying it's okay, women carrying condoms can be arrested for soliciting for clients to provide sexual services. In other words, it will be assumed that they are sex workers.
I'm glad however that Dr Latiff acknowledges that women are 'the first ones' who are exploited by their partners, although I'm not clear what he means by 'exploited'. Most men would not consider having sex with their own wives as exploitation, even if it means they are infecting them. Indeed, a study among about 100 HIV+ widows in Kelantan found that all were infected by their drug-using husbands whom they did not know had the virus. In many cases, neither did the husbands.
So..it isn't as easy as telling women to carry condoms with them. It might be more useful to tell men to carry condoms instead. But what would be most useful of all would be to provide good frank education about HIV to everyone especially young people (including about sex) and to create an environment where women are treated with respect so that they are never exploited.
26 comments:
Kak Marina,
I salute Dr Latif for this acknowledment particularly HIV carrier among Malays. Matter of factly, this issue reveals how bad the state of Malay people in this country. You just go to SUKMA site and see how many Malays has been listed as medal holders. And you go to Harian Metro site today and look at the head issue, how active this Malay kids indulged themselves in the sexual activities. Itu tak dikira dengan rempit dan araknya!!!
Why does politicians have to come up with funny and st*pid suggestions for female?
The last time they suggested that woman under 18/21 to get consent if they want to travel alone.
And now women have to bring condoms out? Any more smart ideas?
Why isnt there any "SMART" suggestions for the male gender?
It's one thing to suggest,
Another to implement as per request,
And finally to strictly enforce
So as to regularly reinforce
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 010608
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Sun. 1st June 2008.
Dear MM,
I learnt during a (Community Medicine) class of mine in my 3rd year med, that when the govt wanted to make it mandatory for every couple to undergo a HIV rapid test, there was much hue and cry, and you were one of the strong opponents of it.
I am not sure if this is really true.
I wonder why would you oppose HIC testing of couples about to get married.
Could it not protect many women from getting HIV after marriage from thier promiscuous husbands who hid the truth from them?
Also as quoted in the above article, IV drug abuse has indeed become a big problem and is also contributing to HIV spread. Almost every other patient I have come across with a history of IV drug abuse, turns out to be HIV positive when a test is folowed up on him.
In A&E, the paramedics by default have started labelling people as Biohazards just on the appearance of the patient - A tattoo, ear ring, mat rempit look : Has a biohazard tagged labelled on him by the time he is wheeled in.
Well this is no protocol, its just that these ppl take thier own precautions.
Dear Marina
We can no longer leave it to chance that our children will somehow pick up good sexual practices and develope a healthy respect for the opposite sex.
30 years ago, most families had only 1 bread-winner, while mothers kept a strong check on their children. Standards of parental & teachers' supervision were definitely superior.
Today many families have 2 bread-winners, especially in the major cities like Kl, JB, Penang & Ipoh. The rat and paper-chase race is taking its toll. Standards of education and care by teachers also appears to have suffered drastically.
There is an old Indian saying that 'A bad habit picked up in the cot, will only leave at the graveyard!'
Therefore, good habits must be inculcated from young, and the best place to start is in our schools. Sex education must become a compulsory part of school curricula, perhaps from the age of 15 and upwards, taught by highly qualified & trained teachers, and not just any science graduate.
I believe, although many will oppose it in this era of religious fundamentalism, more co-education schools will also assist in bridging the gap between the genders.
If we do nothing but wring our hands in agony and stand rooted to the spot by old superstitions and doctrines, then our worse nightmares will come true - more AIDS, abuse and rape of women & children, serial sexual crimes etc.
The time to act is now`!!
You have taken some of the 1st steps. But the Govt needs to show more commitment.
A.kum Datin,
1. Aitt...pelik la Datin?
2. Kenapa 'Pakaian lelaki' tetapi orang perempuan pula yang kena bawa?
3. AIDS= Ajaran Iblis dan syaitan.
http://sukj.blogspot.com
MM
Correct me if I'm wrong. I thought Islam prohibit usage of condoms?
What is the rules that allowed the usage?
I like the part where you mentioned, having condom in one's handbag is often used as evidence by the police that one is soliciting. Often, our minister will only know how to give wonderful ideas but the execution is really bad.
What is the medical cost for a hiv patient, Marina?
Do you think it is fair to subsidise it? What about generics?
Do insurance companies cover hiv infections - and why not?
Dear MM,
As our handsome drzhivago stated:.."when the govt wanted to make it mandatory for every couple to undergo a HIV rapid test, there was much hue and cry, and you were one of the strong opponents of it.
I am not sure if this is really true..
I also remembered the same thing, only that time I was listening to your talk in HUSM Kelantan. I remember walking out at that point.
In the name of human rights, yes we know..but sometime our people need inhuman or stupid solutions, or else it HIV is just like diabetes or hypertension, so common and so alright...
Well, as for me I do always agree and believe that abstinence is the best protection ever! Even condoms do not protect 100%. Don't you agree with me MM? :)
On another note, the issue with Mokhzani and SIC:
"Mokhzani who has recently quit UMNO should step down as the SIC (Sepang International Circuit) because the Minister of Tourism is not in favour of him. Mokhzani insist that he does not get paid but the event organizer for all the events is organized by his wife’s company. Mokhzani’s wife’s brothers are also involved in this issue."
Dear Dr Zhivago and HAS, I knew this question would come up and in fact I have dealt with it several times in this blog. Please look at very early posts on AIDS. But they bear repeating.
In this country, mandatory premarital testing is a marriage requirement in most states in Malaysia FOR MUSLIMS ONLY (it is a requirement by state religious departments). It began in November 2001 in Johor and has now spread to almost every state in the Peninsula.
However this programme remains one of the least transparent and accountable programmes in the coountry.To this day, the MoH has been unable to tell how many people have undergone these tests before they got married and how many out of those were actually diagnosed positive because those test results are not segregated from total notifications. We also have no idea how much is spent on this programme and certainly no idea of its effectiveness, either from cost point of view nor from prevention.
What we do know, from anecdotal evidence collected from newspapers and also from some researchers is this:
1. The numbers of people diagnosed through this scheme is small.
2. None of them are prevented from getting married afterwards.
3.Counselling is of poor quality (see my post on A Wedding)
4.There are men AND women diagnosed by these tests.
Since the stated aim is to prevent women from being infected by their 'promiscuous' (or drug-using husbands), not giving any counselling especially on prevention methods before marriage seems to defeat the purpose.
In our studies, we also found that getting an HIV- result before marriage is no predictor of later infection since no interventions are put in placeto ensure safe behaviour throughout marriage. What is a better predictor is evidence of drug use. Unfortunately this is not a question asked and our research also indicates that the women had no idea that drug use, especially the sharing of needles, is linked to HV vulnerability.
I am not against premarital HIV testing, only against MANDATORY testing, which by the way, as a member of WHO, Malaysia is not supposed to undertake.Evidence from other mandatory premarital testing programmes around the world has also shown that it has no effect whatsoever on prevention.
HAS, walking out is hardly conducive to constructive discussion on HIV prevention. I think when we have good factual education for everyone, especially women and young people, coupled with access to and facilities for VOLUNTARY counselling and testing, we will go further towards dealing with this epidemic.
At the moment, given the stigma and discrimination against People with HIV/AIDS, mandatory testing for no other reason other than to know who is HIV+ and who is not, does not serve much purpose.
FYI, WHO is initiating new studies on the effectiveness of mandatory testing and will hopefully release the results next year. I will be pleased to share them with you then.
Men or women to carry? Are we talking about sex between married person or unmarried ones?
Between a married couple, who cares (should we?) which one carries the condom. Isnt it a matter of life/sex style of the married couple whether they want to use condom or not? I cant think of a reason to wear condom except for the purpose of pregnancy control unless you suspect that your partner is HIV and this applies to both the hubby and wife. [Now, I hope when one partner carries condoms, the other partner dosent suspect infidelity]
BTW also, Dr Zhivago, labelling people 'biohazards' based on their looks is discriminatory and stigmatising. Hospital staff are supposed to practise universal precautions for all patients, not just those who 'look' like they might have HIV. Surely, as a doctor, you know that you cannot judge a book by its cover. We have had little children and elderly persons who are also HIV+, even doctors and nurses.
Su-kj, sedih saya lihat masih ada orang yang mengatakan AIDS=Ajaran Iblis dan Syaitan. Mungkin itulah sebabnya masyarakat Islam yang paling jahil mengenai HIV/AIDS dan paling terdedah kepada jangkitan.
Alex, Islam has no problem with family planning within marriage including the use of condoms. However, they have a problem with the use of contraceptives outside marriage in the belief that this encourages promiscuity.
Unfortunately this often translates into total silence about condoms, even for married couples. Hence one of the reasons we suspect that married Muslim HIV-discordant couples do not use condoms, thus risking transmission to the HIV- spouse, is the belief that Islam does not permit condoms. Unlike in Indonesia, our ulamas have not come out with clear rulings on this.
Positivist, abstinence may work for single people but for married people, especially wives, it is simply not possible to be abstinent, especially in cultures where wives who refuse sex with their own husbands are regarded as bad wives. And indeed, most of the women who have been infected everywhere in the world, including in Malaysia, are married and have only one partner, their husbands.
I agree.
Everyone should be educated about sex.
It should not be a taboo subject or a dirty subject but at the same time it should not be taught or discussed 'loosely' with no clear objectives.
This done, then all adults will be aware of the benefits of condoms.
As long as sex is considered a 'dirty' subject, all matters related to sex will be labelled as 'negative' and so everyone will try to not show or talk abt it in order to conform to society's label of good and clean.
Comrades... let’s face it. Is compulsory testing going to change human behaviour? Yes, a woman (or man) may benefit from a pre-marital HIV test but I see some flaws in the process. No 1, the testing was done under duress ie. Forced. That doesn’t say much about a person’s responsibility towards his/her partner. If I were to get married, I’d rather have my man go for a complete health check voluntarily (not just for HIV) so that we both know what we are getting into. No 2, even if my man is cleared of any disease, that doesn’t give me the life-time guarantee that he will remain faithful or not get into drugs later on. In summary, prevention is about being responsible to yourself and your partner. You cannot legislate what happens behind closed doors. Trust is a big word for any human relationship but in this case RESPONSIBILITY is a bigger word. That’s my take.
Disturbing to note that healthcare workers practice selective discrimination on patients based on their appearance. Must make mental note to wear a suit when I am critically ill and need urgent medical attention. HIV has no face!! It can happen to anyone regardless of economic status, race, religion and age. Labelling fuels stigma and discrimination, which in turn breeds contempt. What happened to practicing universal precaution and equal treatment for all?
Mr Deputy Minister, don’t just give us the permission to carry rubber in our purses. Give us the assurance that:
1. Men wont label us as “bio-hazards”
2. The police wont nab us for possession of rubber ... and more importantly
3. You will create a safe environment to empower us and protect our safety
i think protection is more than merely handing people condoms. i think awareness and education is VERY important. no point giving people condoms or them holding em unless they know how to use it, how important it is and what you are protected against.
It is quite ironic that the star reported on this topic today and if this is what well schooled is defined, we are in for big issues in the foreseable future.
Teens well schooled in sex
FOR only RM5, an adolescent gets to experience sex with his schoolmates. This was the shocking revelation recorded by counsellors who organised a youth camp for problematic secondary school students in Selangor recently.
In a front-page report in Metro Ahad, a 14-year-old student known as “Andy” admitted to paying RM5 “for a round of sex” with a senior at school, adding they would either “do it” at his or her home.
He said both parents were unaware of the activities as they thought the two were studying together and confessed that sometimes, one of his friends would join them for a “threesome”.
“If I need sex, I only have to call or send her an SMS for an appointment.
“It all started when I began watching pornographic clips with my friend two years ago. Since then, my desire for sex grew and when I knew that this girl in school did not mind doing it for a fee, I decided to try it with her,” he said.
Camp organising committee secretary Mahezan Baharom said the counsellors were shocked with how “frank and candid” the students were about their sexual activities although they were aware that they should not be having sex at their age.
Mahezan said apart from sex, the participants – aged between 13 and 15 – admitted to masturbating in a group, having multiple sex partners, consuming alcohol, glue sniffing, theft and smoking.
“Students who are involved in social ills or misfits do not only come from poor families. We have participants whose parents are well to do, VIPs and those whose mothers and fathers are religious people,” he said.
A lot Man who refuse to use to condom is just looking for an excuse.
If they refuse, then No sex! Period!
I am one of the authors going by the name if Sensually Fun in
http://stylomum.blogspot.com/
We are a group of woman blogging under the same roof call Stylo Mum Claptrap. We are stylo Modern woman who think condom is cool!
SF
"In A&E, the paramedics by default have started labelling people as Biohazards just on the appearance of the patient - A tattoo, ear ring, mat rempit look : Has a biohazard tagged labelled on him by the time he is wheeled in.
Well this is no protocol, its just that these ppl take thier own precautions."
This reminds me of a study done in Vientiane, Laos where men in rural areas (with very very low knowledge of HIV) were reported to have the belief that the prettier the sex worker, the 'cleaner' she is i.e. no HIV.
I remember gasping in horror at that. Didn't think such ignorance exists here in Malaysia. Guess we have to think again.
Dear MM,
I read your comment and thank you. We should improve the system of recording results of pre-marital test and the counselling prosedure. Counselors should attend workshop e.g HIV counselling coaching for sexual partners(something like sex coaching).
Walking out was my solution at that time because one or two was urging me to speak up. I have enough insight not to do so at that time. Anyway it was about a decade ago.
Hi Kak Marina, thanks so much for your article on The Star. I was smiling all the way while reading it. Just can't help and it really makes me happy. Good on you!
It may sound sexist or whatever, but he has a point.
though, all men and women should bring a condom. many malaysians are shy on buying condoms.
upholding principal is a difficult thing. when a person undeliberately meets another person for sexual intercourse, with all the hormones and chemicals in his body, it's very difficult to abstain from sex just because he/she didn't have a condom around.
even though they know the risks.
not everyone is mature about sex, making choices etc...
please keep up the good work Marina. compulsary license is the smartest, bravest thing done.
This article and post actually gives me some encouragement. When I was teaching English in KL in the mid-1990s, I gave my students an article to read on HIV infection rates in the US. When they finished reading it they were stunned into silence. When I probed, I discovered that the problem was not that they didn't understand the grammar or the vocabulary, but that the article said that the fastest rising group of infected people in the US was heterosexual women. It turned out that my class of young adults, all thought that only homosexual males could get HIV/AIDS.
As such, that Malaysia is even at the point, a bit over a decade later, where one can discuss HIV/AIDS in the paper and/or encourage the use of condoms... is frankly encouraging.
Agreed, however, that telling women to carry condoms is only one of many messages that needs to be out there. It does let the men off a bit too easily. And when it isn't incorporated into part of a wider sex education program, it is likely to fall on deaf ears.
ikhtiar lah ke jalan yang di redha ALLAH....dan bukan ke jalan yang membawa kemurkaan ALLAH
cari lah solution ke jalan yang di redha ALLAH
telah sempurna agama ISLAM
cari lah....pasti ada jawapan nya...selain condom ini
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