Education vital to prevent abortions<\/p>\n
The recent case of dumped fetuses in Jakarta has unveiled more
\nshocking facts. It is said that hundreds of fetuses are being
\ndumped in the capital everyday. Medical doctor Sugiat A. Sumadi,
\nchief of the Council for Health Development of the large Moslem
\norganization Muhammadiyah discusses the problems related to
\nabortion.<\/p>\n
Question: Chairman of the Indonesian Medical Association (IDI)
\nAzrul Azwar has suggested that abortion be legalized. Do you
\nthink that legalizing it will help?<\/p>\n
Answer: No. Whether abortion is legalized or not, the result
\nwill be the same -- the demand for abortion will remain high.<\/p>\n
Q: Why?<\/p>\n
A: The demand for abortion has actually been high since the 1970s
\nwhen the government promoted the so-called \"menstruation
\nregulation\", a method of early abortion, with the aim of reducing
\nthe country's maternal mortality rate. There was also a
\ncommitment that prosecution offices would not bring such cases to
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
The demand for abortion is now still on an upward trend
\nbecause the number of unwanted pregnancies is increasing, while
\nfacilities are available to handle abortion.<\/p>\n
That is why the number of abortion practices is very high, far
\nhigher than that ever reported by the press, particularly in big
\ncities.<\/p>\n
Q: Where does the high demand come from?<\/p>\n
A: About half comes from women involved in extramarital relations
\nand the other half from married couples who, for health and
\neconomic considerations, do not want to have more children while
\nthey do not want to join the government-sponsored family planning
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Q: So, it is not necessary to revise the Criminal Act, which
\nforbids abortion, even though the law on health allows abortion
\nto be conducted for health reasons?<\/p>\n
A: No. It will be a shame for us to revise it just because of the
\nheated discussions while international society continues opposing
\nit. U.S. President Bill Clinton himself became more popular
\nbecause he opposed abortion.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, the majority of the Indonesian population are
\nMoslems who believe that abortion is haram (forbidden).<\/p>\n
Q: If the majority of Indonesians are Moslems who believe that
\nabortion is haram, why are there also Moslem women who have their
\npregnancies terminated?<\/p>\n
A: In Islam, there are different points of view on abortion. In
\n1985, the National Agency for Family Planning Coordination asked
\nMuhammadiyah to send teams to other Moslem countries in the
\nMiddle East where abortion was allowed at certain stages of
\npregnancy.<\/p>\n
I led one of these teams a few years ago, visiting Egypt,
\nTunisia, Algeria and Turkey. Moslems in those countries are
\nfollowers of Imam Maliki's school of syariah (Islamic law), which
\nbelieves that life begins when the heart of the fetus starts
\nbeating -- at 100 to 120 days.<\/p>\n
Most Indonesian Moslems are followers of Imam Syafi'i's
\nschool, which believes that life begins when sperm penetrates an
\novum -- a belief which is also shared by Christians. The
\nIndonesian doctors' oath, therefore, includes honor to life which
\nbegins with the penetration of sperm and ovum.<\/p>\n
Because there is a school which allows abortion before the
\nheart of the fetus starts beating, many Indonesian women,
\nparticularly those following Imam Maliki's school, do not feel
\nguilty when they have their pregnancies terminated. Such practice
\nis, therefore, not regarded as murder.<\/p>\n
But Islamic teachings of whatever school allow abortion which
\nis conducted for health reasons.<\/p>\n
Q: Then what are the benefits of legalizing abortion if the IDI
\nchairman suggested it?<\/p>\n
A: There will be some benefits from the health point of view.
\nWhen abortion is regarded as legal, society will get better
\ninformation on abortion practices, medical doctors can carry out
\nabortion practices in accordance with regulations, bleeding and
\nmortality among women can be reduced and the number of unwanted
\nchildren, who usually face psychological and social troubles
\nduring their lives, will be reduced.<\/p>\n
But the legalization of abortion should meet at least three
\nconditions -- the age of pregnancy must not have reached one
\nmonth, the abortion practice must be conducted by competent
\npersonnel and the motivation for abortion must be clearly
\nacceptable and recognized by no less than three experts of
\ndifferent kinds of competence.<\/p>\n
Q: What is the best way to reduce the practice of abortion?<\/p>\n
A: Sex education for society. Many young women who do not want to
\nhave children for some reason do not know the signs of pregnancy.
\nWhen they are sure that they are pregnant, it is too late and yet
\nthey go ahead with their plans to abort.<\/p>\n
Some uneducated women, realizing that they have an unwanted
\nfetus in their wombs, try to abort them by taking traditional
\nmedicines. When such medicines prove ineffective, they go to
\ndoctors for an abortion even though they have to face high risks.<\/p>\n
With education, women and their partners will have better
\nknowledge that there are many ways to have sexual relations
\nwithout producing children. (riz)<\/p>\n
Bahavior -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/education-vital-to-prevent-abortions-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }