| From: |
"Gabriel, ADEYEMO" [ profile ] |
| Subject: |
Indonesian government agency: Ban teens from buying condoms
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| Sent: |
Jun 10th, 2012 - 04:20:04 |
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SOURCE:* Wall Street Journal*
AUTHOR: Ahmad Pathoni
http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/06/01/indonesian-govt-agency-ban-teens-from-buying-condoms/
Easy access to condoms at convenience stores is leading Indonesian
teenagers to engage in risky sexual behavior, according to a top official
in the government's Child Protection Commission. Asrorun Ni'am Sholeh,
CPC's deputy chair, is proposing a ban on condom purchases by unmarried
teens.
In Indonesia, the minimum marriage age is 16 for females and 19 for males.
"Allowing children to buy condoms and use them to engage in risky sexual
behavior is against the principle of child protection," said Sholeh. CPC
became alarmed about the situation around Valentine's Day, when convenience
stores were giving away condoms with purchases of chocolates.
Indonesia has one of Asia's fastest-growing HIV epidemics, according to UN
figures. In 2010, the agency estimated 333,200 people were living with the
virus across the vast archipelago...Merdeka Sirait, of the National
Commission on Children, said his non-governmental group conducted a survey
in 2007 and found 93 percent of high school students in 12 major cities
reported some kind of sexual contact.
He worries blocking access to condoms will harm Indonesian youths further,
since proper sex education already is lacking. "Depriving of access to
condoms will only increase the risks of them contracting HIV/AIDS," said
Sirait. "Condom use among unmarried youngsters may be controversial, but we
can't hide from the fact that many teenagers are sexually active."
Moderator's Note: From my own end, i think the Indonesia government only
need to intensify Sexual Education and Condom Programming meetings for
young people. For heaven sake, you don't refer to a teenager as a child any
longer because we have the rights to explore our sexualities. Banning
condoms will not make this ones change their sexual behaviors and
orientation but shall increase side/adverse effects of more impending STIs
untold. Its better the government just propose this act and better not
implement it for the good of young people.
Moreover, UNFPA Indonesia should act fast of this bill to counter it.
--
Many Thanks
Yours' in Prevention Science
Gabriel, ADEYEMO
Regional Focal Point - West Africa
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AID (GYCA), a program of the Public Health
Institute
+234-80-6798-7317 | gabriel (at) gyca.org
www.gyca.org | www.phi.org
GYCA is a youth-led global network of over 6,500 young leaders and adult
allies working on youth and HIV/AIDS in 173 countries world-wide. GYCA's
mission is to empower young leaders with the skills, knowledge, resources
and opportunities they need to scale up HIV/AIDS interventions amongst
their peers.
*My United Nations Pledge 2011-2012: "To lend my wit and my strength to the
AIDS Response guiding global youth towards one goal: Zero HIV: Zero AIDS
Related Deaths, Zero New Infections, Zero Stigma"*
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