Jakarta

Indonesia / Java / Jakarta

OVERVIEW

Contraception

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Indonesia, you can buy contraceptives without a prescription at most pharmacies (known as "apotiks"). You may be able to find a wider selection of medications, as well as more professional services, at hospital pharmacies. But even in hospital pharmacies, you will not find all brands, and Nuvaring seems unavailable in Indonesia. It is estimated that 62.9% of Indonesian women (ages 15-49) who are married or in unions use some form of contraceptive with injectables and oral contraceptives as the most common choices.

What to Get & Where to Get It

• You can find many birth control pill brands in Indonesian pharmacies (or "apotek" in Indonesian). Some brands you can expect to see are Levonorgestrel Pill, Microgynon, Microgynon-30 and Nordette. To conduct a search on drug availability, check out the MIMS website.
• You can find condoms ("kondoms" in Indonesian) in many supermarkets and grocery stores. Uou can also buy condoms online -- for example, here are some online vendors based out of Indonesia. There is also a company called Asmaraku, which sells condoms and other intimate products online for Indonesians. You can find brands like Vivo, Simplex and Dasoni sold on Asmaraku, ranging in price from about RP 35,000 to 5,000 per box. The website supposedly also sells vibrating condoms.
• While you may find contraceptives at many pharmacies, here's a list of pharmacies that are recommended:
  • International SOS: One of the best and most international health care resources in Jakarta that has an in-house pharmacy
  • Guardian: A large, internationally-oriented chain that can be found in malls and larger shopping areas
  • Health Care: Delivers meds. A large, internationally-oriented chain that can be found in malls and larger shopping areas
  • Apotik Medika Center, Central Park shophouses. Podomoro City (next to Taman Anggrek). Tel : 0813-73-454800. or 0819 277 40999
  • TBK Apotek in Kuningan near Sudirman / Karet / Gatot Subroto. 021-5226945
  • Melawi: Known to have good service
  • Titimurni: Has the best selection (for Central Jakarta)

Emergency Contraception

Important Notes: Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC as soon as possible after unprotected sex. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click here and here.

Laws & Social Stigmas

Emergency contraception is only available by prescription only. It is estimated that 11% of Indonesian women of reproductive age have knowledge of EC and that 0.3% have ever used it.

Based on one study, it appeared that Indonesian health care professionals support keeping it prescription-only: "Although most participants were familiar with EC, only 22% received a very good knowledge score (4 or 5/5 answers correct), while 52% received a poor score (0–2/5 correct). Most participants did not support the OTC availability of EC (70%). Logistic regression identified that participants who prescribed EC had an Odds of 3.8 (95% CI 1.90, 7.73) of approving OTC EC, after adjustment for age and speciality."

What to Get & Where to Get It

Check out this list of 24 hour Jakarta pharmacies.

In Indonesia, there is one brand of EC on the market: Postinor-2 (take 2 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex). If you cannot obtain Postinor-2, you can use some oral contraceptives as EC. To do this, if you have Levonorgestrel Pill, Microgynon, Microgynon-30 or Nordette, t ake 4 pills within 120 hours after unprotected sex and take 4 more pills 12 hours later.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs/STDs)

Important Note: If you think that you've been recently exposed to HIV (i.e. within 72 hours), seek out PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis). It's a month-long treatment that may prevent HIV infection, and it may be available in your city. Take PEP as soon as possible.

Laws & Social Stigmas

In Indonesia, there are no travel or residency restrictions related to HIV status. You will not be asked for a medical certificate in order to enter the country. However, if you want to obtain an Indonesian work visa (KITAS) from the Education Department (DIKNAS), you may meed to take an HIV test.

Regarding HPV, according to the HPV Information Centre, "Current estimates indicate that every year 20928 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 9498 die from the disease. Cervical cancer ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women in Indonesia and the 2nd most frequent cancer among women between 15 and 44 years of age. About 4.0% of women in the general population are estimated to harbour cervical HPV-16/18 infection at a given time, and 87.2% of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to HPVs 16 or 18."

Testing Facilities

• Angsamerah: High-quality and affordable. HIV and STD check-up. At Angsamerah, HIV test is around Rp300,000 (including Rp30,000 for administration fee, Rp200,000 for mandatory doctor appointment, Rp20,000 for the needle and Rp50,000 for the test). For Gonorrhea/Chlamydia, the test is an additional Rp50,000 to Rp80,000 each. You can get a full package including HIV, Syphilis and Urethral Discharge (+ doctor appointment) for Rp370,000.
• BioMedika: Also has locations in Bali, BSD, Tangerang. A bit more expensive than Angsamerah. HIV Test: Rp382,500. Doctor consultation not required.. For other STDs, it is advised to have a note from your doctor to make sure you do the right test.. Test for Chlamydia (IGG/IGM): Rp 555,000. Test for Herpes (IGM): Rp305,000.
• Prodia: "The price for HIV testing is Rp391,000 but, surprisingly, you need to bring a note from your doctor. I don't really understand the point of this, especially considering they do not require it for other STDs check up." Chlamydia test (IGM OR IGG) costs Rp727,000.Herpes test IGM I: Rp352,000 and IGM II: Rp318,000.
• International SOS: "Many expats prefer going to International SOS because it is their employer's recommended clinic. The standards are supposed to be better but the prices are much higher. Since they don't have their own laboratory, it also take a long time to receive the results. You must do a consultation with their own doctor prior to the test. The price is Rp368,000 (for a General Practitioner) + Rp49,000 for Administration fee (Rp24,000 if you already are a client). Based on the doctor's recommendation, you should pay the following, approximately: HIV test: Rp550,000. Chlamydia screening: Between Rp500,000 and Rp1,100,000. Herpes: Rp1,500,000."
• Global Doctor: Doctor consultation required: Rp288,000 + Administration fee (Rp40,000). HIV test: Rp543,000 or Rp1,121,000 (depending on the test. Chlamydia: Rp543,000. Herpes (anti-HSV): Rp396,000. Syphilis (TPHA): Rp184,000. Syphilis (VDRL): Rp115,000
• Rumah Sakit Saint Carolus: "This public hospital gives free HIV and STD screening (Gonorrhea and Syphilis only). You may have to wait if you visit on a busy day."
• Lab Klinik Gunung Sahari: "This is one of the cheapest places to get an HIV test in Jakarta with locations in Gunung Sahari, Daan Mogot, Kelapa Gading and Depok." HIV test: Rp260,000 (no doctor's note required). Chlamydia: Rp990,000.

Support

• Jakarta AIDS Information System
• POKDISIJS AIDS - Dr. Djoebairi Zoerban: Provides HIV treatment. Department of internal medicine, Medical faculty of the Indonesian State University, Cipto Mangoenkoesoemo Hospital, JI. Salemba Raya no. 6, Jakarta, Indonesia
• Yayasan Pelita Ilmu (Pelita Ilmu Foundation): NGO therapy center, supported by the Ford Foundation. Provides HIV treatment. JI. Kebon Baru IV No. 16 (District Tebet), Jakarta, Indonesia, Phone/Fax: 021 8379 5480
• Jl. Kebon Baru Utara no. 15: Provides HIV treatment. Asem Barig Raya, also in Tebet, Jakarta, Phone: 021 831 9673, Contact person: Dr. Wahjuningsih or Mr. Asep
• Yayasan Mitra Indonesia: Jl. Kebon Kacang IX/78, Jakarta
• Yayasan Pelita Umu in cooperation with RSCM (Cipto Hospital): JI. Tebet Timur Dalam VIII Q No.6, Tebet, Jakarta Selatan, Phone: 831 1577
• Rumah Sakit Cipto Mangunkusumo - RSCM (Cipto Hospital): Pok Dik Sus AIDS, FK Ul - RSCM, JI. Diponegoro No.71, Jakarta Pusat, Phone: 390 5250
• Yayasan Citra Husada Indonesia: JI. Blimbing, Gang Y No.4, Denpasar, Bali
• Yayasan Spiritia: National peer support organisation for people living with and affected by HIV. Jl. Johar Baru Utara V No. 17, Johar Baru, Jakarta 10560, Indonesia m Phone: +62 (21) 422-5163/8, Fax: +62 (21) 4287 1866, E-mail: info@spiritia.or.id
• Yayasan AIDS Indonesia: Helps with Information and prevention. Address: Hotel Menara Peninsula, Lantai 3 (3rd floor), JI. Jend. S. Parman 78, Slipi, Jakarta Barat, Phone: 549 5313, 530 3951, 534 9813

Medications & Vaccines

What to Get & Where to Get It

• If you have a yeast infection, you can ask for Fluconazole at the pharmacy.
• You can access the HPV vaccine in Indonesia. The country also has a national HPV vaccine pilot program.
• There is currently no Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program in Indonesia.

Menstruation

What to Get & Where to Get It

In Indonesia, pads and pantyliners are the most common menstrual product, and they can be found in grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, etc. While you can find tampons in Indonesian cities, especially at international and high-end pharmacies and grocery stores, they are much less common than pads. You can look for tampons at pharmacies like Guardian and Century. Some tampon brands you can expect to see are Playtex, Laurier and Charm. You can also try to check in Japanese supermarkets for tampons. In smaller towns, you'll have great difficulty finding in tampons. As for menstrual cups, you may be able to find them from small-scale businesses, especially those that cater to an international crowd. You can also purchase them online. For example, you can order the Mooncup from the UK, which can be delivered to Indonesia - click here for details. You can also order the Lunette menstrual cup online LiveLoveLuna. There appears to be no local sellers of DivaCup or LadyCup in Indonesia, so those brands should also be purchased online.

Costs

"I generally pay Rp30.000 to Rp50.000 for eight tampons in Palembang, about $3 to $5." Pads are cheap -- "a couple of dollars for a dozen or more."