Jayapura, Papua – In a bid to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS, the National AIDS Commission (KPAD) in Merauke has marked red light districts and entertainment centers employing workers infected with HIV/AIDS with red flags.

"Red light districts and discotheques whose owners send their workers for regular medical checkups are given blue flags to show they're safe," Joseph Rinta, head of the Merauke health office, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

The decision to mark out establishments was reached by owners of the entertainment centers, non-governmental organizations and the KPAD, Rinta said.

The choice of color was purely arbitrary, he said, while the crux of the exercise was to protect the public from the dangers of HIV/AIDS. "Anyone visiting a brothel and intending to have sex is advised to use a condom if the brothel is marked with a red flag," he said.

He added the marking system was still in its infancy. "This actually serves as a kind of shock therapy. Our aim is to discourage people from having more than one sex partner," he said.

At least 10 sex workers in the regency are confirmed to have HIV/AIDS, but they continue to work in the red light districts. Some 987 cases of the disease have been reported, with 242 fatalities.