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.