Students urge government to provide sex education

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Learning from the increase in the number HIV/AIDS cases, especially among teenagers, students have urged the government to provide sex education classes where they can also learn about the hazards of injecting drugs.

The students questioned on Saturday why parents and teachers were still hesitant to educate their children and students about sex despite the current openness toward sex.

"We're already living in the year of 2004 now. Parents should be more open with us and stop thinking that sex is taboo," Jessica, a student from St. Ursula junior high school in Jakarta told a discussion titled: Teenagers talk about HIV/AIDS, sex and drugs.

Jessica said teenagers demanded that their right to access to information about sex and drugs be recognized.

The latest Central Statistic Agency (BPS) report reveals that approximately 30 percent of high school students in Jakarta have used drugs and were sexually active.

The data also shows there are 65,000 people in Indonesia who are living with HIV/AIDS, most of them are teenagers.

Nafsiah Mboi of the Committee for AIDS prevention agreed with the students, saying sex education classes would be effective to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among teenagers.

However, the government has been facing many obstacles in providing sex education in schools, especially in junior and senior high schools.

Eddy Hasmi of the National Family Planning Coordinating Board (BKKBN) said the government had only allocated approximately Rp 3 billion (US$353,000) to provide sex education for around 40 million teenagers across the country.

Another BKKBN official, Siswanto Agus Wilopo, said the lack of funds reflected the government's scant attention to sex education for students.

"The government, in this case the Ministry of Education, somehow deems sex education less important compared to other subjects in the school curriculum," said Siswanto.

He said most teachers had little knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its connection with sex education. Therefore he urged the government to provide training for school teachers as well.