Virginity survey mostly discredited
Virginity survey mostly discredited
Tarko Sudiarno, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several Yogyakarta leaders, including the royal family, have been
angered by the findings of a controversial survey, which claimed
that most university students in the city had already lost their
virginity.
The survey, conducted by the Institute of Love and Humanity
Studies (LSCK) along with the Training Center for Business and
Humanities (Pusbih), sparked a public furor against the
researchers.
According to the survey, 97.5 percent of female university
students have lost their "physical virginity" due to either
sexual intercourse or through masturbation.
The survey said to have been done over a period of three years
and polled a total of 1,660 respondents from various colleges
across Yogyakarta.
At least 415 of the respondents have had sex more than once
and 98 other students have had abortions, it said.
"Based on these findings, we can conclude that our education
system has failed to develop our children's minds. It shows that
the nation is currently facing an extremely serious socio-
pathological disorder," claimed Iip Wijayanto, a 23-year-old
researcher from LSCK.
"Our cultural paradigm has shifted far away from our roots and
our religious teachings have been breached and ignored," added
Iip, a militant Muslim activist campaigning for Islamic sharia
law in Indonesia.
The survey, which has been a big issue in the local media,
promptly drew harsh criticism from numerous people, including
Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas, the wife of Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengku
Buwono XII who is also the current governor of the province.
She accused the researchers of trying to incite unrest in the
city.
"The research is not valid and should not be trusted. It could
even be said that the survey is merely aimed at destabilizing
Yogyakarta which is calm and peaceful. It contains a political
motive," Ratu Hemas said.
She asked all parents who have sent their children to study in
Yogyakarta to remain calm and not to be anxious over the
findings.
"Yogyakarta City remains conducive to study and the morality
of female students is not like what has been described in this
survey," she added.
Ratu Hemas also criticized the mass media for playing a role
in blowing the sensitive issue out of proportion by giving
disproportionate coverage to the researcher's claims.
Similar criticisms were also lodged by women's activists,
community figures, academics and members of several local non-
governmental organizations.
A discussion, sponsored by the Indonesian Family Planning
Association (PKBI) and the Kompas daily newspaper, held last
Friday in Yogyakarta discussed several aspects of the survey and
most concluded that it contained many errors.
Iip was also present at the forum but was condemned by most of
the other speakers.
"Regardless of the methodology used in the survey, I feel
offended and conclude that Iip Wijayanto is trying to manipulate
people. It is reflected in what he has stated in this forum," Mrs
Budi Wahyuni, a PKBI researcher, said during her speech.
She was referring to, among other things, Iip's claim that he
could identify whether a girl was virgin or not simply by looking
at her.
The survey initially stunned many in Yogyakarta, which is not
only known as a student city with a multi-ethnic population but
also is a popular tourist destination.
In most religions, including Islam, virginity is considered
mandatory up until the time one is married.
Virginity is still seen by many men in Asia as a very
important factor for marriage.