It's time to tell your children about sex

Reality bites, and bites deep. Be warned, teen sex problems are real. Youths need proper information about sex, which unfortunately is rarely available at home or at school. The Jakarta Post's Rita A. Widiadana, Irene Sugiharto and Stevie Emilia look into the issue.

JAKARTA (JP): How would feel if you found out your beloved teenage daughter was pregnant, or your cute son confessed he had a sexually transmitted disease (STD)?

You might feel that your world is crumbling and doomsday is approaching. A large number of parents could undergo such an experience as statistics show teenage problems are increasing at an alarming rate, especially those related to sexual activity.

In the last 20 years, the number of children and teenagers engaging in premarital sex and irresponsible sexual behavior has skyrocketed in almost all provinces in Indonesia.

Data released in 1998 from the University of Indonesia's School of Medicine shows that many male teenagers in Jakarta with sexual problems had an STD.

Two years earlier, a joint study by Atma Jaya University in Jakarta and the Police Academy found that 558 students in several junior high schools had engaged in sex.

In 1996, Padjadjaran University's School of Psychology in Bandung, West Java, disclosed that 21.5 percent of youths in the cities had had premarital sex. The figure for this was 31.6 percent in Cirebon, 30.85 percent in Bogor and 26.47 percent in Sukabumi.

Such facts may astound most people, but if real proof is needed just visit any shopping mall, movie theater, cafe or street where youths hang out in Jakarta and other big cities.

Many male and female teenagers with their baby faces who hang out at such places have been found to freely date and work in the sex trade for simple reasons that would surprise many adults: they do it for fun and a sense of pride.

Dr. Endang R. Sedyaningsih, a researcher at the Ministry of Health's Research and Development Center, warned parents, teachers, society and the government to take prompt action to deal with teenage problems.

"Poor information and ignorance about sex are the cause of the increase in teen sex problems," the doctor said.

"Sex education is very important to help teenagers manage their sexual impulses, and I suggest that parents start early."

Sex is definitely not a trivial subject. It is a crucial matter, indeed, especially since incorrect information about it could lead to big trouble not only for teenagers but also for their families.

Yet for many parents and teachers, sex is not a subject to discuss freely. As a result, many youths fail to get responsible sex education from competent people.

"Information that comes from incompetent people can mislead, and even create misperceptions that could be fatal for youths," Endang explained.

Public perceptions of sex education deals solely with sexual intercourse techniques that children pass on to each other.

This long-held mistaken perception has hampered real sex education, which is about disseminating information on essential knowledge about sexuality among youngsters.

"The present situation is ironic. There is no sex education at home or school, but our children and teenagers are widely exposed to pornographic materials and other erotic wares that can have negative impacts," added Endang.

In the current information age, in which the flow of various information including sexuality can hardly be controlled, children and teenagers could become the most vulnerable audience.

Sex education has become a global need, with delegates from 152 countries agreeing early this month on a plan to boost sex education and family planning for youths as part of a new effort to curb the global population growth.

For the first time in 50 years, the United Nations clearly stated teenagers' rights to sex education, and to have sex free from the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

With the human race estimated to reach six billion this year and to top eight billion by 2025 at current growth rates, the UN sought renewed commitment from members to goals established at the l994 world population summit in Cairo.

They included the guarantee of access for all people to minimal health care, including basic sex education and family planning resources which are still lacking in developing countries.

In advocacy of sex education, the UN allows individual nations to set their own standards on the ages considered appropriate for varying degrees of knowledge.

Proposals

Proposals for introducing formal sex education at school have always sparked a heap of controversy.

In the early l980s, the Indonesian Planned Parenthood Organization (PKBI) suggested that sex education be provided at school, but the government and religious leaders turned down the suggestion.

Parents and teachers also voiced objections, saying sex education was considered too risky for children.

Chatarina Wahyurini, a project officer at PKBI, warned the government that sex education should be made part of the school curriculum to provide accurate and standard information on sex as early as possible and to head off unwanted consequences of teenage sexual experimentation.

She is aware that the term sex education worries many parents and teachers. "So we use the term health reproduction on our training programs," explained Chatarina.

Some religious leaders appear to have given a green light to the implementation of sex education in school.

Prof. Dr. Zakiah Darajat, a leading psychologist and a member of the Indonesian Ulemas Council, believes that sex education is important but should be closely linked to religious and ethical values as well as other subjects such as law and biology.

"Such education must be given as scientifically as possible to give clear and rightful information to children and teenagers," she said.

Catholic priest, Father Vixtus C.Pujadarma O. Carm, was quoted by a local magazine as saying that he does not object to sex education at school, that he realizes that sex problems among teenagers have become very serious.

"Sex education should not only inform people about physical things but should also involve moral teachings," he said.

Even though it is not included in the curriculum, a number of schools have included sex education in several subjects such as biology and religion. But students complain that what they get at school is far from reality.

"I want sex education to reflect reality and not be too theoretical. The education I have received so far has been very theoretical and boring," said Doni, a 16-year-old student.

Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono says the issue is still under discussion as the government is reviewing the curriculum, which is said to heavily burden students.

This is confirmed by Indrajati Sidi, director general of elementary and high school education, who suggested that sex education be included in extracurricular programs.

"The current school curricula have been so burdensome for students," he said. He also suggested that materials for sex education must be adjusted to local culture and moral values.

As the government thinks hard on whether to include sex education in the curriculum and how to present it, information about sex through the media keeps flowing and teen sex problems remain unsolved.

Psychological consultant Ami Siamsidar commented that since the very beginning, materials for sex education consist of comprehensive information on health reproduction and moral behavior and were being disseminated in accordance to the condition of the respected places and the lives of local communities.

"Now that sex problems among children and teens are escalating, should we still prevent our youth from getting rightful information on sex matters?" she warned.