PP Contraceptive Devices For Students, Minister Of Health: For Youths Who Get Married Early

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin (center) and West Manggarai Regent Edistasius Endi (right) at Komodo Labuan Bajo Hospital, NTT, today. (ANTARA-Fransiska M N)

Minister of Health (Menkes) Budi Gunadi Sadikin emphasized the provision of contraceptives for teenagers who marry early in order to reduce the mortality rate of toddlers and prevent tengkes (stunting).

"He directed this contraception to teenagers who are married early, it is not forbidden for married people," said Budi at the Tebet Health Center, South Jakarta, Tuesday.

This affirmation is related to the issuance of Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 concerning Health as a derivative product of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health.

The PP invites controversy because one of them regulates the provision of contraceptives for students. Budi said that a fairly high early marriage in Indonesia has caused stunting cases to continue until now.

Moreover, pregnant women who are under 20 years old may have unhealthy babies and tend to be stunted.

"Mother mortality is high, infant mortality is high," he said.

Furthermore, he said, of course there is no prohibition against getting married, therefore his party prefers to provide education for teenagers who have an early marriage. As for this education, it aims important to reduce the mortality of toddlers and stunting.

Then, in this activity, his party cooperates with regional heads to ensure that they are not wrong.

He reiterated that the provision of contraceptives is not for students, but for people getting married at school age. "Our culture is still large in areas where school age is married. That is the target, for people to get married at school age," he explained. At the end of his statement, the Ministry of Health also asked the media to provide education through reporting to teenagers to behave in a good way of life.

The DKI Jakarta Education Office cooperates with the Health Office regarding the provision of contraceptives for students. Previously, the government issued Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 concerning Health as a derivative product of Law Number 17 of 2023 concerning Health

The PP, among others, regulates the provision of contraceptives for school-age children and adolescents.

Article 103 paragraph (1) PP states that the health efforts of the school-age reproductive system and adolescents are at least in the form of providing communication, information, and education, as well as reproductive health services.

Then, paragraph (4) states that reproductive health services for students and adolescents, consist at least of early detection of diseases or screening, treatment, rehabilitation, counseling, and provision of contraceptives.