Arrange The Provision Of Youth Contraceptive Devices, Minister Of Health: Not For School Children, But For Marriage At School Age

Minister of Health Budi and Acting Governor of DKI Heru Budi (Diah Ayu/VOI)

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized that regulations regarding the provision of contraceptives for adolescents and school age in Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024 concerning the Implementation of the Health Law (PP Kesehatan) are not interpreted as being provided to school children. Budi said that the provision of contraceptives is not intended for all teenagers, but only for teenagers and school age who are married. "Don't get me wrong, this is not for school children, but for married people who are school age," Budi said when met in the Tebet area, South Jakarta, Tuesday, August 6. The government, said Budi, realizes that there are still teenagers at school who are married. Meanwhile, the government cannot prevent people from having an early marriage. "Our culture is still large in areas where school age is married, now that's the target, he's old school but he's already married, that's it," said Budi. Meanwhile, maternal pregnancy at the age of under 20 is prone to health problems. There is a possibility that babies born from adolescent mothers suffer from stunting or malnutrition. The mortality rate of mothers and babies at that age is also quite high. Therefore, the government seeks to educate teenagers and school age who are married to postpone pregnancy until a sufficient age. This is assisted by the use of contraceptives. "If you get married early, the pregnancy will arrive at the age of 20 because this is important to reduce the mortality of toddlers and this is important to reduce stunting," he explained. President Jokowi through Government Regulation (PP) regulates the provision of contraceptives for school-age children and adolescents. PP Number 28 of 2024 concerning Implementation Regulations of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health that has just been issued by the government includes several health programs including the reproductive system.

However, the PP became a polemic because, among other things, it regulates the provision of contraceptives for school children and adolescents. Article 103 paragraph (1) of the PP states that the health efforts of the school and youth age reproductive system are at least in the form of providing communication, information, and education, as well as reproductive health services. The polemic is seen in Paragraph (4) of the “e” namely the provision of contraceptives.