'Accidents' do happen: Teen pregnancy

Rani Lukita, Contributor, Jakarta

The topic of teenage pregnancy is being carried into local living rooms by the TV drama series Pernikahan Dini, which some consider yet more proof that local teenagers are succumbing to western "values" in experimenting with sex.

Of course, it's an age-old problem; the hit Saturday night prime-time TV series was inspired by a 1980s' movie of the same title, which was an updated adaptation from a popular novel by Mira W. about a young girl who fell pregnant.

Former child singer Agnes Monica plays the role of Dini, a senior high school student with overprotective parents.

"In fact, Dini's father is so protective that she doesn't know a single thing about sex," Agnes said last week. Consequently, she accidentally falls pregnant by Gunawan (Syahrul Gunawan) and begins her married life, although both are far too young to deal with the consequences of their actions.

Agnes said Pernikahan Dini portrays some very real issues connected with teenage pregnancy, including "the dominant role of the family to guide and inform their children about sex, and to make them realize the risks of premarital sex".

Parents are often reluctant to discuss sex with their children, unless they have a comfortable and open relationship. Some, like Dini's parents, even think that to protect their children, they need to prevent them from knowing about sex in the first place.

Schools also have the responsibility of providing informative and reliable sex education, but, even today, few carry out that responsibility, due mainly to overriding social taboos.

Hence, clueless but curious teenagers are forced to turn to their peers and the media, and are often provided with misleading information about sex. This ignorance leads to as many as 15 million teenagers falling pregnant in the world every year, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

Anjani, now in her 40s, knows from experience.

"Only very basic information (about sex) was provided at school -- 'If you have sex, you'll have a baby'. I knew that, but I didn't realize the immense consequences of having a baby," says Anjani, who became pregnant at 18.

She did not finish high school but married the man, aged 21, who got her pregnant. They did not communicate well, probably because of their youth, and they later went through an acrimonious divorce and custody dispute

"I did everything backwards," Anjani said. "Most people get an education first before having a baby, but I had a baby and then went back to college."

Pregnant teenagers usually face "initially shocked, and then angry and disappointed parents", according to counselor of teenagers, Rosdiana Tarigan.

"After that, parents who are strictly religious will demand that their child marry. Parents who are not so religious will demand an abortion."

Taking the marriage option brings its own set of problems.

"Teenage marriages are usually filled with problems because the couple is not ready to get married," added Rosdiana. "Their minds are supposed to be thinking about playing and hanging around with friends. So, because both are emotionally unprepared, they usually end up fighting a lot."

This point is emphasized in Pernikahan Dini, where the couple's immature priorities often lead to fights.

Abortion is not a legal option, but the National Family Planning Board (BKBN) estimates that two million "backstreet" abortions occur in the country each year.

Many Indonesian teenagers choose to abort, even in unsafe conditions, because they face isolation from the community, expulsion from school and disgracing their family, among other things, if they have the baby.

Although it has tackled some of the moral issues, Pernikahan Dini has failed to touch on the physical dangers of having a baby at such a young age.

According to research done by the Organization of Developing Koranic Studies and the Community (P3M), one of the reasons for the high Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in Indonesia is because of child and teenage pregnancies, many of which are products of culturally encouraged early marriages.

Pregnant teenagers are at a much higher risk of having serious medical complications, such as toxemia, pregnancy-induced hypertension and premature delivery. The reproductive organs of teenagers have not fully developed yet and this may result in weak contractions, which could prolong the labor period, until a caesarean is inevitable.

The best way to lower the incidence of teenage pregnancy is through sex education, says Rosdiana.

"The family should begin to educate their children from a suitable young age, to prepare them. It is also crucial for the family to steer their children away from bad influences, such as misleading media and peers."

In Rosdiana's opinion, schools also need to provide the best sex education possible to make up for the information parents may have missed out. Finally, the community's awareness and cooperation in eliminating teenage pregnancy are essential.

Anjani believes that sex education is not the only way to teach about the dangers of teenage pregnancy, but moral and religious instruction are also essential.

She loves the children from her marriage, but if she could have done things differently, she would have done.

"I would not have married young, (marry) at 30 at the youngest, get as high an education as possible, be financially secure and choose a life partner carefully. And, not have sex before marriage!"