The Forgotten Dimensions of HIV Programs Conducted with Waria in Jogjakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Despite the great efforts conducted by the Indonesian National AIDS Commission —Komisi Penanggulanga AIDS— since the 1990s, the programs to prevent and treat HIV have failed to effectively control the spread of the disease
in the country. This article focuses on HIV programs targeting waria —male-to-female transvestites in Indonesia—. Organizations blame the lack
of education and of individual responsibility among waria for the appearance of new diseases and the abandon of the medical treatment. However, analysis reveals that the success of these programs is influenced by strong
structural, socioeconomic and relational constrains that are seldom considered by implementing organizations