| Siti Hajar |
THERE has been concern over the potential perpetuation of the spread of sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIDs) and HIV through the convenient access of the Internet, a concern that the non-government organisation Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council (BDAC) has voiced especially with the rise of social media.
In an interview with the Bulletin yesterday, the President of BDAC, Iswandy Ahmad, pointed out that social media networks such as chat groups that can be logged on through web browsers and smartphone applications, which are downloadable for free, have made it easier for users to “hook-up” referring to the unrestrained practice of premarital sexual activities.
“We believe more people may be infected if they are not aware of HIV or the health statuses of their sexual partners that they may have met from these platforms,” he lamented.
In December last year, the Ministry of Health (MoH) in conjunction with World AIDS Day 2016 released data that showed an increase of HIV patients with 24 new cases in 2015 and the cumulative total is 110 cases since the first local case was reported in 1986 whilst 38 new cases were reported between 2012 to 2014. The number of HIV women patients have also risen to seven, which BDAC pointed out, represents a worrying trend more so considering that HIV is often associated with homosexual relations among men.
Statistics released by the Global Information Technology report showed that in 2014 the country’s Internet penetration rose to about 60 per cent from 56 per cent the year before whilst active social media users accessing social media on a mobile device stood at 240,000 as of January the same year.
President of Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council, Iswandy Ahmad (L) presenting a trophy to Maggie Rait, one of the winners of the Red Ribbon Run 2016. – DEAN KASSIM
The highest age demographic accessing the likes of Facebook were those aged between 18 to 24 years old at 33 per cent followed by 25 to 34 years old at 30 per cent and 13 to 17 years old at 17 per cent.
Despite Internet safeguards put in place by regulators to protect the country’s morals closely linked to religion, these safeguards, especially on web browsers, can be bypassed via proxies that are easily found on the Internet through a simple search, making the war against the growth of social ills a difficult one. As for mobile applications, dozens can be found on the likes of Google Play and the Apple Store, with many more introduced and developed almost on a regular basis that can be easily downloaded by Bruneians.
With regulating the use of the Internet and social media proving to be a gargantuan task, public education on HIV and STIDs have been considered the best arsenal for local authorities to use, according to Iswandy, who noted that; BDAC has been pushing for sexual education to be made available by the likes of the Ministry of Education and the MoH.
At home, Iswandy said that “parents and family members play an important role for the prevention of issues related to reproductive health that include STIDs, HIV, teenage pregnancies and extramarital sex,” urging 21st Century families to finally open up the topic of sex with the younger generation, especially children.
Acknowledging that the topic of sex is still considered taboo in conservative Brunei, the conversation is hardly addressed, with Iswandy pointing that “as reproductive health is considered an ‘adult only’ topic, people assume that it comes naturally to adults,” but equipping the community with knowledge on reproductive health empowers individuals for steps in prevention versus the notion that conversing on the topic of sex could lead to unsafe sexual behaviours.
Though HIV awareness in the country is on the rise, he added that “we believe more needs to be done where all sectors need to be on board”, with more research into HIV still in need to enable an evidence-based approach on the country’s HIV/AIDS response. Among the recommended research topics include the level of knowledge among population groups such as students, young people, married couples and the working population in general.
In Brunei, HIV surveillance is conducted through a variety of means including antenatal checkups where expecting mothers are screened for HIV, screening blood donors for diseases including HIV, screening tuberculosis patients, mandatory HIV test once every two years for foreign workers as well as screening for detainees such as prisoners and drug users.
The BDAC advises for sexually active people of unsafe sexual behaviour, especially those at higher risk of HIV, to consider and conduct regular checkups. Under the Infectious Disease Order 2003, legislation protects the identities of those infected with HIV.
However, the lingering stigma of this disease still remains.
“Stigma has long been a major issue not just for BDAC but for the HIV community as a whole in Brunei. Society needs to accept People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and address the HIV issue, and not the person infected with it.”
The community, he encouraged, “Should also treat PLHIV with respect similar to the ways others are respected.”
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