The Realization of People Living with HIV/AIDS Commitment to Participating, and The Benefit and The Challenge of HIV/AIDS Control Program in Surakarta Indonesia

The management of AIDS is a collective responsibility, including People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). This research aimed to study the realization of PLWHA commitment to participating, and the benefit and the challenge of HIV/AIDS control program in Surakarta Indonesia. This was a qualitative research with case study approach conducted in Surakarta Indonesia. The data was collected through observation, in-depth interview and documentation related to PLWHA being administrators and members of Solo Plus Peer Support Group, People Affected by HIV/AIDS (PABHA), Surakarta AIDS Commission, Health Workers, NGO and people concerned with AIDS as its data source. To validate the data, source triangulation was used. The explanatory analysis in this case study was conducted using Azjen's Theory of Planned Behavior. The involvement of PLWHA in HIV/AIDS control program in Surakarta is like a pyramid. Generally, they serve as participants of socialization; facilitators in HIV/AIDS Communication, Information, and Education; caretakers and attendants of PLWHA; counselor and peer educator; and policy makers. The benefits of the Greater Involvement of People living with or Affected by HIV/AIDS (GIPA) were: HIV/AIDS control will run more ethically and effectively, socialization by means of elaborating PLWHA and PABHA's experience can reduce stigma and discrimination within community, reinforce the organization, and provide more responsive healthcare service, therefore, improve PLWHA's self-confidence and quality of life. The constraints or challenges included personal, social, and institutional one, for example, the difficulty of revealing HIV status before the public, inadequate material mastery and communication skill, some organizations supporting PLWHA inadequately, negative stigma and community's discriminative treatment leading GIPA in HIV/AIDS control program to run less optimally. PLWHA involved in HIV/AIDS control program can get some benefits, but they should also face readily such challenges as negative stigma, social isolation, and discrimination. There should be comprehensive support from family, government, and community to HIV/AIDS control program to make PLWHA acceptable and contributing actively to end AIDS epidemics.