Psychologist concerned over premarital sex among teens

JAKARTA (JP): Leading psychologist Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono expressed concern yesterday over the high number of teenagers engaging in premarital sex.

Quoting a study conducted by reproductive health expert Wimpie Pangkahila in 1990, Sarlito said 25 percent of all Indonesian youths between the ages of 10 and 24 have had sex. Pangkahila's account was by far the highest among surveys on teenage sex.

However, there were few reports about abortion as the result of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, Sarlito said.

"Who wants to report it anyway? The teenagers do not just go to doctors, but also to midwives or medical staff or even their own friends."

He told The Jakarta Post yesterday that in countries such as the United States, statistics showed that 60 percent to 80 percent of teenagers had premarital sex.

Despite the high rate of teen sex in the U.S., Sweden and Japan, there were hardly any reports about fetus and babies being dumped, as is the case here, he said.

The number of American teenagers having abortions in registered clinics was few, despite the fact that they had been involved in sexual relationships since they were about 14 years old, he said.

The same concern was also expressed by medical experts Meiwita B. Iskandar and F.A. Moeloek in a recent discussion.

Both agreed that teenagers should be given sex education and greater access to sex counseling to allow them to develop a more responsible attitude toward sexual behavior.

Meiwita, who is the resident advisor at The Population Council, said that openly informing teenagers about sexual issues could prevent them from engaging in unsafe premarital sex.

"Up to now the information on reproductive health (for teenagers) ... has had no clear or focused message, particularly concerning sexual behavior," Meiwita said during a discussion on teen reproductive health.

She said such information must be incorporated within the school curriculum.

Citing a survey conducted in Thailand and Jamaica on teenage sexual behavior, Moeloek said that ignorance on the use of contraception and poverty had increased the risks of death from sexually transmitted diseases and abortion among teenagers.

Meiwita called for better education for teenagers on responsible sexual behavior and information on available counseling in the event of unwanted pregnancies or sexually transmitted diseases. (09)