A New Comprehensive Sex Education Curriculum for Increasing Adolescents

Knowledge of Sex in Indonesia

Akmal Lutfi1, Rahma Anindya Prathitasari2
1
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia
Depok, West Java, Indonesia
2
Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia
DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
1akmalutfx@gmail.com

2r.anindya28@gmail.com

Abstract. Abortion among adolescents in Indonesia had reach 800.000 cases per year in 20141. The practice remains unsafe for the
pregnant mother as it is done illegally, often conducted by unprofessional. The high prevalence of abortion is caused by unintended
pregnancies, which caused by unsafe sex2. Although it is no longer uncommon to have premarital sex, this topic is still sensitive to be brought
up in society. This causes a lack of sexual knowledge that leads to unsafe sex and its domino effect. In this paper, we aim to increase
adolescents’ knowledge and awareness of sex through a new program consists of comprehensive sex education. A systematic literature
review was conducted to obtain the adolescents’ knowledge of sex in Indonesia. We also reviewed sex education programs in several
countries with low rates of abortion. The studies show that the knowledge of sex among adolescents is still low. Thus, we propose a
comprehensive sex education that will be included in school curriculum. The program will be held as early as in elementary school. The
content of the program will adjust with the grade. Nevertheless, this paper has limitation since the number of literatures reviewed is scant.

INTRODUCTION
According to Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional, Indonesia is experiencing critical free sex rate. There has
been 25.4% increasing premarital sex rate in only 7 years on total adolescents of 63.6 millions. Also census that was conducted by
Badan Pusat Statistik in 2014 shows that 51% pregnancies happened to adolescents. Besides the increasing adolescents pregnancies
rate, the abortion rate also comes together. In Indonesia abortion is known for illegal activty, which means the abortion is not
conducted by the experts. In 2015, there has been 2.5 millions abortions, or in average, there are 7000 activities of abortions done per
day (Hadisaputro, 2016).
According to research that was conducted by an association called Advocates for Youth, comprehensive sex education is the most
suitable form of sex education for adolescents who lack of sexuality knowledge. Comprehensive sexual education itself means,
planned, sequential curriculum that is part of school subject health education approach which addresses age-appropriate physical,
mental, emotional, and social dimension of human being (Alford, 2001). On the contrary, Indonesian education system still believed
on abstenince-only sex education, which according to Kirby (1997), “sex education programs that focus on abstinence from sexual
intercourse, typically until marriage as the only method of preventing unwanted pregnancy and/or the spread of STDs, (p. 25)9.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to increase adolescents’ knowledge and awareness of sex through a new program consists of comprehensive sex
education.
METHOD
This study is a literature reviews and also a cross sectional analysis of primary datas obtained from questionnaire that were passed
on to adolescentes aged from 12 to 21 years old. The questionnaire contains qualitative questions related to sexual knowledges and
importance of sex education. A total of 62 respondents aged from 16 to 21 completed the questionnaire. There are 26 boys and 36
girls. After the datas were obtained, we analyzed and able to displayed it in form of pie charts.

RESULTS
 Sexual activities done sexual
intercou
rse
Thinks that sex 10%
No
education is important 2%
grobe
21%
kiss
8% hand
hug
hold
Yes 13%
48%
98%

Knows the risk of sexual

activities

No
24%

Yes
76%

Should have taught at school

Hesitate
6%
No
8%
Yes
No
Hesitate
Yes
86%

DISCUSSION
 Indonesia has diverse religious, which most of them believe that premarital sex is considered morally unacceptable and diverge
from religious values. However, many adolescents in Indonesia are not free from sexual behaviors. Based on the answers from
questionnaire we passed on, 8% of adolescents had kissed, 21% had grobed, and 10% had premarital sex. Those activities may
increase the risk of sexual transmitted diseases
(STDs). This is supported by the lack of sexual knowledges,
which is proved by 24% of the respondents do not know their behaviors may cause STDs. Nevertheless, almost all of the respondents
agree that sex education is important.
Indonesia is known to be applying abstinence-until marriage only system. The system does not teach adolescents how to protect
themselves when they become sexually active. The consequences of STDs, guilt, and shame are used to frighten youth into
abstinence10. In 2009, there was a study that compared abstenince-until marriage system and comprehensive sexual education.
Comprehensive sexual education has proven to be more effective. Young people ages 15-19 who received comprehensive sex
education were 50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education11. Another research
has showed comprehensive sexual education has succesfully dropped 40% sexual initiation, 30% reduced the frequency of sex, and
60% reduced the unprotected sex12.

CONCLUSION

This paper clearly shows that comprehensive sex education programs do not encourage adolescents to start having sexual
intercourse early; do not increase the frequency with which teens have intercourse; and do not increase the number of a teen’s sexual
partners. Evaluations of publicly funded abstinence-only programs have repeatedly shown no positive changes in sexual behaviors
over time. Young people need honest, effective sex education – not ineffective, shame-based abstinence-only programs.

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