Easier access to condoms promoted at health clinics

Easier access to condoms promoted at health clinics

Fitri Wulandari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The national family planning agency has never been this
friendly in its treatment of men.

For as long as people care to remember, the state-sponsored
family planning program has always focused on women for a variety
of reasons.

Over the past few months, however, the National Family
Planning Coordinating Body (BKKBN) has been doing everything it
can to reassure men that they, too, are responsible for planning
their family size and protecting their health.

BKKBN is practicing a new concept corporate clinic to offer
family planning services to men. On offer are condoms and
consultation in matters relating to male contraception, such as
where to find the best hospitals for vasectomy operations.

Siswanto Agus Wilopo, BKKBN deputy chairman on reproductive
health said on Tuesday that the initiative was aimed at "giving
men easier access to family planning services."

"When condoms are available at the clinic, they will not have
go to the trouble of dropping by the drugstore on their way home
when they want to buy condoms," he said.

The program was initiated also with the consideration that
reproductive clinics offering family planning services for men
are rare.

The government has set an ambitious target for the male-
friendly clinic program. By the end of 2004, men taking part in
the family planning program is expected to go up to 8 percent
from the present 1.8 percent with a total of 25 million
participants.

Siswanto said that the government's efforts to bring the
family planning program closer to men are encouraging. The
campaign also hopes to counter the traditional Indonesian
perception that condoms are usually associated with promiscuity.

"The wife will suspect that her husband has another woman when
she finds condoms in his pocket," he said.

BKKBN officials had approached several major companies who run
their own clinics. The Indonesian Business Association (Aspindo)
has shown enthusiasm for the idea, Siswanto claimed.

To show that it is serious about the male-friendly clinic
idea, BKKBN offers professional consultations to companies which
need it. It also offers the clinics cheaper contraceptives.

"Hopefully, the program will succeed and the companies will
see fewer of its female employees take maternity leave," Siswanto
said.