A Human Rights Watch report says cuts to US aid have stripped LGBTQ+ communities in Indonesia of vital HIV services, leaving some people without trusted support to reach testing and treatment. The findings matter in a country where stigma and legal risks can make seeking care feel daunting, and where community outreach has been sharply curtailed.

Essential Takeaways

  • Community services ended: USAID-funded prevention and care programmes for LGBTQ+ people in Indonesia were eliminated.
  • Funding fell: Indonesia’s HIV-related obligations dropped from US$11.9 million in financial year 2024 to US$7.9 million in 2025.
  • Outreach workers mattered: They connected people with testing, condoms, PrEP information and antiretroviral treatment, and accompanied clients to clinics.
  • The need is unequal: The report estimates HIV prevalence at 0.4 per cent in the general population, compared with 22 per cent among men who have sex with men and 25 per cent among transgender people.
  • Legal pressure adds risk: Indonesia’s revised Criminal Code took effect in January 2026, with provisions on sex outside marriage that can expose same-sex couples to legal risk.

When HIV support disappears, the gaps are deeply personal

For some people living with HIV in Indonesia, losing a community outreach worker means losing more than a reminder about an appointment. Human Rights Watch describes workers helping clients get tested, obtain condoms and PrEP information, keep up with antiretroviral treatment and navigate clinics where LGBTQ+ patients may face hostility.

The organisation’s 33-page report draws on interviews with 35 people, including people living with HIV, outreach workers, activists, academics and aid recipients. It documents how the end of USAID-supported community services has made care harder to reach in an environment already shaped by stigma and discrimination.

A sharp funding fall hit community-led HIV care

Human Rights Watch says USAID funding for community-based HIV prevention and care directed at LGBTQ+ people in Indonesia was eliminated. Its report says the country’s HIV-related obligations fell from US$11.9 million in financial year 2024 to US$7.9 million in 2025.

The wider picture is also troubling. UNAIDS says funding interruptions have affected prevention, testing and important parts of treatment programmes in countries around the world, with community-led services among those hit. It cautions that the full consequences will become clearer over the coming years, as programmes restart or seek new support.

Why outreach workers can make treatment reachable

Outreach workers do practical work that can be easy to overlook: sharing prevention information, helping clients get tested, following up on medication and accompanying them to appointments. Human Rights Watch says some workers lost their resources after the cuts, while clients missed appointments or treatment; some workers continued helping without pay.

That support matters especially where people may feel exposed or unwelcome when seeking care. The report says workers also advocated for respectful treatment in clinics, turning a potentially isolating visit into one with a trusted person alongside.

High HIV prevalence meets a climate of fear

The report estimates HIV prevalence at 0.4 per cent among Indonesia’s general population, compared with 22 per cent among men who have sex with men and 25 per cent among transgender people. Those figures sit alongside limited government funding for programmes reaching these communities, as well as reports of police raids and political rhetoric that fuels fear.

Legal context matters, too. The US Department of State says Indonesia’s revised Criminal Code took effect in January 2026 and makes sex outside marriage punishable, with enforcement dependent on a complaint from a family member. Human Dignity Trust warns that, because same-sex marriage is not legally available, these provisions may be used against consensual same-sex intimacy, though enforcement can vary.

Restoring services means rebuilding trust as well

Human Rights Watch is calling on Indonesia and international donors to restore community-led HIV services, increase inclusive public funding and ensure safer, non-discriminatory healthcare. Meanwhile, the Centre for Global Development’s analysis of US spending data shows a substantial global reduction in HIV/AIDS assistance, while stressing that obligations and actual disbursements are different measures.

A budget line can be restored on paper, but people still need a reliable route back to care. Rebuilding outreach is part of making that route feel possible.

Community-led support is not an optional extra when it helps people stay connected to lifesaving treatment.

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