Denpasar ( 14/10 ) Before I want to introduce myself first . My name is Ni Putu Indrayani , I was a field officer in the team HIV Prevention Through Sexual Transmission (PMTs) at Bali Health Foundation (Yakeba). My daily tasks in addition to reaching high-risk men and sex workers in the Badung area, I also provide health information, HIV – AIDS information and trying to refer them to the nearest of Community Health Center (Puskesmas) when finding health problems on my client. I will tell the story of a waitress who also become as my client.
At the time when Yakeba PMTS team and I doing outreach tasks in one area in Badung , I found a woman who become as my client, let’s call her Bunga. Her profession’s as a waitress. Meaning an employee of a nightclub waitress is on duty to serve and accompany guests on one of the stalls drink wine (drink Balinese) is of course in addition to serving customers in the shop , he could also be invited to accompany (sexual transaction) with a guest at the shop for a fee particular that has been agreed . To get guests as much as possible, often do not use condoms in every sex did Bunga serve their guests. Unwittingly he did the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections are very high because of multiple partners and unprotected (condom) each serve their guests. This had to be done because of economic pressure, what will be done by someone who is economically driven. Even behavior that can endanger the lives of themselves or the family will be passed to meet the needs of the economy. And it is made worse by the situation that their bargaining position in the use of condoms with their customers is very low.
Initially Bunga was closed once told me. He just gives limited information about her health and behavior of the high risk for being prostitutes working in one of the stalls. Perhaps because of the environment in which it works with many rivals to gain work place and serve a customer as much as possible so that he became a little embarrassed to reveal what actually happened to her. Which of course if there is something in her of course she will get a bad assumption by friends and guests who come to shop drink away from her so that it would be able to stop her career as a waitress.
After several time Yakeba team and I approached to Bunga, finally she told me that she got problem on her genitals. In telling genitals secrete a foul odor and itchy she accidentally that cause injury when scratch it up. I invited her to get treatment at a hospital but because in the hospital they charge cost, I refer her to seek treatment at the nearest health center. Because the nearest health center had limited tools to know in detail about the disease Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), so she just diagnosis from the symptoms of characteristics she exposed STI caused by a fungus. There she was just getting sober treatment alone and with free cost as referenced by the field workers.
Bunga are also willing to do voluntary testing and counseling to determine whether he was infected with HIV or not. Thankfully the tests were negative; she was not infected with HIV. As we know that STI is an infection that could be entrances to a person’s HIV transmission. “When there are have a problem would receive STI and VCT services. Even then forced cause the fear of stigma and discrimination still around her workplace. I will continue to provide information around the workplace in order to realize the prostitutes to perform safe sex by using condoms and continue to provide health information about the dangers of STIs around their workplace”. So said Putu Indra.
By Dony Fauzan