BKKBN likely to introduce emergency contraceptive pills

BKKBN likely to introduce emergency contraceptive pills

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government is considering the possibility of introducing
the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) to help prevent the high
prevalence of unwanted pregnancies due to rape or contraceptive
failure, an official of the National Family Planning Board
(BKKBN) said on Tuesday.

Siswanto Agus Wilopo, BKKBN's deputy for family planning and
reproductive health, said that he was in the process of seeking
approval from religious and community groups for the introduction
of the pill.

Siswanto said that unwanted pregnancies had become a serious
problem that hindered the implementation of the national family
planning program.

"Unwanted pregnancy frequently leads to abortion," he told The
Jakarta Post.

Also dubbed the 'morning after pill', the ECP is effective as
a contraceptive if it is taken by someone within 72 hours after
having unprotected sexual intercourse, he said.

But ECP is intended only for 'emergency' cases such as
contraceptive failure or rape, he stressed.

According to Siswanto, the government has allowed the use of
ECP in East Timorese refugee camps in West Nusa Tenggara where
there in a high level of unwanted pregnancies.

The ECP has been recommended by a consortium of foreign donors
-- the World Bank, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
the World Health Organization (WHO), the Program for Appropriate
Technology for Health (PATH) and the Population Council.

Siswanto said that in Europe and the United States the ECP is
distributed through special clinics such as women's crisis
centers, but under strict prescription.

"The ECP has undergone clinical tests and the results are
good. But in order for it to be marketed in Indonesia, we need a
green light, particularly from religious and community leaders,
including from Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)," Siswanto said.

He said that the government had signed the 1994 agreement of
the International Conference on Population and Development
(ICPD), which states that family planning policies should respect
the various religious and ethical values, cultural backgrounds
and philosophical conviction of its people.

Siswanto is aware that many people fear that ECP would
encourage sexual permissiveness, including premarital sex, which
is still widely unacceptable in Indonesia.

Moreover, he said, young mothers might switch from the usual
contraceptive pill, which has to be taken daily, to ECP for
reasons of convenience.

The ECP contains a high amount of progesterone which might be
hazardous for health if consumed continuously over a long period,
he said.

"Indonesian consumers frequently prefer simple things without
considering the effect on their health. In addition, Indonesians
have poor knowledge about contraceptives," Siswanto said.

He added that the government will carefully promote the ECP so
as to prevent the consumers from abusing it.