Don't Have To Join The Young Marriage Trend Just For Reasons To Avoid Zina

Students when doing sympathetic actions by unfurling posters refusing to marry young. (Between/Mohammad Ayudha)

JAKARTA The high number of young marriages in Indonesia is still a serious concern. The reason is, early marriage has the potential to be the root of other prolonged problems.

Not long ago, the Head of the National Population and Family Planning Agency (BKKBN) Hasto Wardoyo said, in Islamic knowledge there were already teachings so that Muslims would not get married at a young age.

"Allah SWT sudah menyiapkan manusia bahwa pelvik perempuan berukuran 10 cm apabila berumur 20 tahun, tetapi kalau berusia 16 atau 17, apalagi 15 tahun, kalau menikah lalu hamil akan berbahaya. Hamil dan melahirkan terlalu muda risikonya punya banyak bleeding, tempi jalan lahirnya, kematian ibu dan bayi masih cukup tinggi," kata Hasto, dikutip Antara.

According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), most of the young people in Indonesia got married for the first time at the age of 19 to 21 years. A total of 33.76 percent of young people in Indonesia recorded their first married age in the 19-21 year age range in 2022. Then as many as 27.07 percent of young people in the country had their first married age on 22-24 years and 19.24 percent of young men who were first married at the age of 16-18 years.

Early marriage causes a number of negative impacts both physically and mentally. Children who get married at an early age have a higher risk of experiencing physical health problems, such as complications in pregnancy and childbirth, anemia, and malnutrition. In addition, Hasto said, young women who have had sexual intercourse can have greater potential for uterine cancer.

Young marriage is still a concern for many parties, because this issue has reached an alarming level. Based on UNICEF data as of the end of 2022, Indonesia is ranked eighth in the world and second in ASEAN in the list of countries with the highest number of young marriage cases, with a total of nearly 1.5 million cases.

Not only that, the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (KemenPPA) said religious courts had received 55,000 applications for dispensation for early marriage throughout 2022. This figure has almost doubled from the previous year.

The trend of young marriage was a topic of conversation among the public in 2020. At that time YouTuber Ukhti Mega revealed her marriage at the age of 17 and pregnant at the same age. In addition, celebrity Sabrina Sosiawan also uploaded his story of getting married young at the age of 16 with a man who was nine years older than her.

Recognition of the two seems to be glorifying early marriage. Whereas in Article 7 paragraph (1) of the 2019 Marriage Law, it is stated that marriage is only permitted if men and women reach the age of 19.

There have actually been many young marriages in ancient times, especially in villages. At that time, early marriage occurred because it was related to the low level of education and parental authority.

Psychologist Annisa Cahya Ningrum is worried that the current young marriage trend among celebrities or influencers who have many followers will become propaganda that will attract pre-adolescents to 'follow' in doing so without careful consideration.

Annisa said that the decision to marry young was taken for several reasons, and legalizing sexual relations was sometimes the main reason. Avoid adultery is one of the most popular reasons couples who decide to marry young, because this is related to religious and social norms.

Regarding the decision to marry on the grounds of avoiding adultery, interpreting expert KH Prof Quraish Shihab did not blame the claim. However, he emphasized that getting married at a young age requires careful consideration.

Marrying young just because to avoid adultery is likened to Quraish Shihab treating diseases with disease. In fact, according to him, treating a disease must use a drug that can cure the disease.

"We should treat disease with something that heals," Quraish Shihab said in a short video uploaded on the TikTok account @hausilmu.

Najwa Shihab's father revealed that marrying young for fear of adultery has the potential to cause another mudhorot, because he is considered not to have sufficient knowledge for himself or when he becomes a parent.

Akan lahir anak-anak yang tidak terdidik. Itu sangat berbahaya! Akan lahir perceraian yang bisa memengaruhkan masa depan masing-masing. Anak akan terbaikan. Meskipun kita terpaksa untuk menghadapi dua hal yang buruk, pencari yang lebih ringan dampak buruknya, Quraish Shihab menjelaskan.

The bad effects of young marriages also continue to be put forward by the Ministry of PPPA. Various problems can arise due to early marriage, including health effects. Women who marry before the age of 19 have a higher risk of cervical cancer. This happens because when pregnant, women who marry young have to share nutritional intake with the fetus in their womb.

In addition, in terms of education, these young couples are also threatened with not being able to continue their dreams because they are hindered by their obligations as husband and wife. From an economic perspective, young marriage also has a big effect, namely the lack of employment.

This has resulted in difficulties in finding work because education is low and ultimately triggering poverty. Marriage at a young age can also have an easy impact on divorce. Adapted from the Ministry of Religion's website, divorce is currently dominated by married couples at a very young age with a figure of 30.8 percent.

"The high divorce rate caused by an early marriage of 16-19 years proves that the physical, mental and social unpreparedness of teenagers in carrying out their married life has become one of the psychosocial problems in Indonesia," said clinical and forensic psychologist Kasandra Putranto.

Meanwhile, according to Hasan Basri in his book entitled Caring for Love, said that physically it is normal for a young man or woman to be able to get offspring, but from a psychological point of view, teenagers are still not able to control the household ark.

Marriage is something sacred and a permanent relationship between men and women that is recognized as legal under applicable regulations. In practice, marriage is not always smooth, various obstacles will be faced by married couples, how old they are when they get married. However, getting married at a mature age is expected to make your partner mentally prepared to face these various obstacles.

Therefore, according to Kasandra, strict policies are needed not only in the form of limiting the age of marriage, which in the end is forced to apply for an exception to the religious court, but also requires policies for learning opportunities, positive activities and promotions for outstanding life before marriage at the right age.