Hundreds of Bandung Students Test Positive for HIV: What is the Status of HIV and AIDS Cases in Indonesia?

News of hundreds of students in Bandung contracting the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has become a public discussion. So, how has the case progressed in Indonesia year by year?

According to data from the Ministry of Health (Kemenkes), there were 36,902 positive HIV cases in Indonesia in 2021. This number decreased from the previous year, which had 41,987 cases.

Meanwhile, there were 5,750 cases of advanced-stage HIV or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in 2021. This number also decreased compared to 2020, which had 8,639 cases.

The Kemenkes also noted that in HIV and AIDS, the proportion of cases in the male group is more than twice as large as in the female group.

Specifically, 70% of HIV sufferers are male and the other 30% are female. For AIDS, 75% are male and 25% are female.

As is known, HIV is a virus that infects white blood cells, causing a decrease in the human body's immunity. This infection causes sufferers to experience a decrease in immunity, making them very susceptible to various other diseases.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a collection of symptoms that arise due to a decrease in immunity caused by HIV infection.