Virginity: A Minority of Indonesian Youths...

A recent survey by the National Population and Family Planning Board (Badan Kependudukan dan Keluarga Berencana Nasional / BKKBN) of Indonesia has turned up some interesting results about the number of Indonesian youths engaging in pre-marital sex. The survey was conducted in 2010 and the results are the best indication yet of the state of play for Indonesian teenagers.

The survey results show that 51% of those teenagers surveyed in the greater Jakarta area of Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi (Jabodetabek) admit to having engaged in pre-marital sexual relations. This is important data to consider, especially with World AIDS Day about to take place tomorrow, 1 December 2010. The data is also important as a tool for legislators and teachers. There is an explicit and urgent need for personal development and personal health education, sex education if you will, to be incorporated into school curriculum throughout Indonesia.

The fact that there are some who would argue that sex education will only encourage children to be sexually active are really burying their collective heads in the sand. The data shows that without sex education our children are engaging in sexual activity in ever-increasing numbers. Therefore, it makes sense to ensure that our children have access to, and learn about, the most up-to-date information on sex. It is time that some people began to realise that sex education is more than getting out the old cucumber and rolling on a condom, and then saying "OK children, that is how it is done! Alrighty, back to maths!"

Outside of the Jabodetabek Surabaya is leading the way at 54%, Medan is at 52%, and Bandung is at just 47%. The survey results also indicate that more than a third of sexually active females are experiencing a pregnancy before marriage. Abortion is illegal in Indonesia except where there is a legitimate medical reason for a doctor to perform an abortion. Therefore, with such a large rate of pre-marital pregnancy prevalent in the community the risk of these youths go to backyard abortion hacks is real.

The data suggests that of the 2.4 million abortions performed in Indonesia annually, some 800,000 of these are performed on teenagers with an unwanted pregnancy. Therefore, there are good reasons for the government to consider the results of these surveys from not only an educational perspective but a public health one too.

Unfortunately, any suggestion that the government get involved is likely to be interpreted as a need to legislate morality. The chance therefore is that the government will try to criminalise pre-marital sex in more ways than one cares to poke a stick at while simultaneously committing greater resources to enforcement of draconian legal measures to stop teenagers from having sex. This sort of response only takes us back to the dark ages of times past. Yet, this is what happens when you ask crotchety old men who have not had sex in decades will do when given the opportunity.

The reason that education in this case needs to be personal development and personal health as opposed to just plain and simple sex education is that the data notes that of the 3.2 million people suffering from drug addiction in Indonesia, some 78% of them are teenagers. The data further suggests there are some links between increasing intravenous drug use and increasing numbers of young people becoming HIV positive.

In light of this (rant and rail to follow) it is imperative that the government and educators get their collective heads together and come up with a personal development and personal health curriculum that can be implemented across the board in Indonesian schools. It is critical that we educate our children so that they are forewarned and therefore forearmed. We have a responsibility, not only to our children but, to ourselves to ensure that our children have at their disposal the necessary information to make informed decisions to save themselves from harm. The reality is that we cannot, nor do we want to, live in the pockets of our children 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the rest of their lives. Nevertheless, we can still give them what they need to understand the dangers and make decisions they feel are best for them.

Thus endeth the sermon!

School for Virgin Girls Only...

They obviously do not have a lot to do in Jambi.

Jambi is a province in Indonesia. It is located on the island of Sumatra. It now has a new claim to fame in Bambang Bayu Suseno. Suseno is a legislator in the local parliament up there in Jambi. He has decided in his infinite wisdom that all young girls intending to enroll in a state school must first undergo a virginity test.

Yes, punters, a virginity test. It seems that in Jambi only virgin girls have a right to get an education. I am guessing that Suseno must be thinking that a girl who is no-longer a virgin probably has nothing else left to learn so why waste time getting an education in school?

Suseno seems to think that this is a way of protecting the girls and maintaining their dignity. Protecting them from what? And, maintaining what dignity? Since when has it been a good idea to base access to education on your virginity status? Perhaps we could tie young Suseno to a stake and set him on fire. If he lives he is not fit to be a legislator, and if he dies he is...oops!

Which gives rise to my next point. Are these virginity tests infallible? Is there a right to appeal? Who makes this life-altering judgment? I wonder what "age" are we living in now? Are there any exceptions where a non-virgin might be granted a reprieve to enter a state school although she is no longer "pure"? I only ask because I am wondering how constitutional it is to exclude students based on their virginity status from state schools. I am also wondering whether it is right to exclude a victim of rape from gaining an education?

But why test for just virginity? And, why just the girls? Why not test all girls and all boys to determine whether they are virgins? While we are testing them, why not check out their IQs and exclude anyone below 99 as being a little too slow for state school and anyone over 101 as being too demanding, and therefore too difficult to accommodate in a state school. From there we should also start testing for medical conditions. So, anyone wearing glasses are excluded from state schools. Let's face it, there would need to be too may resources devoted to providing the necessary facilities for sight-challenged students. The list can go on and on and on and on.

The whole idea that you would want to test for virginity as a pre-requisite for entry into state schools is absurd.

Not to be deterred though, Suseno is focused on his plan of drafting a regional law that mandates entry to state schools in Jambi be based on the successful completion of a virginity test. Successful here being you test positive for virginity.

I am still shaking my head as I think about how silly this is. Maybe it is just a publicity stunt? Then again, they test for virginity in Africa, and give the girls a certificate if they pass the test (make the grade so to speak).

T-Shirts You Cannot Wear To School...

There is a list of ten shirts that you cannot wear to schools in the USA. You can find the list over at Buzzfeed (here).

The t-shirts have sparked a deal of controversy and the kids wearing them have been asked to remove them or sent home. Many civil libertarians are up-in-arms that this breaches the first amendment rights to the freedom of speech. These are all certainly interesting arguments. However, when it comes down to it, generally the wearer of the t-shirts are children, and not all children would understand the controversy that their (or their parents) choice of clothing may bring.

I will leave it up to you as to decide whether you would send your kids to school in any of these pieces of everyday wear.

More on Virginity

It is amazing what one stumbles across while surfing the Internet. It seems that there is a thriving market in terms of auctioning off one's virginity to the highest bidder. I am wondering, irrespective of the purpose or rationale for such action, whether this is just a case of prostitution through the medium of an online auction.

Then there are other concerns like how does one know if they are getting value for money? Specifically, that the claim of virginity is real. There is plenty of research that would suggest that a simple hymen test is probably not the best indicator of virginity.

Anyways, Natalie Dylan (apparently not her real name), a student from San Diego, is intending to finance here graduate school education by selling her virginity to the highest bidder. You can find news and commentary on this here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. What is interesting, aside from the fact that this looks a little like prostitution, is that this girl apparently has an undergraduate degree in women's studies from Sacramento State (which if I am not mistaken is part of the California State University system).

By all accounts it is Howard Stern that is going to kick off the auction process. Anything that Howard Stern is involved with is likely to push the edge of the envelope and worth watching in that car wreck kind of a way.

I am not sure that I will be following this story through to its conclusion, although it was a fun read, it just has that "beat up" feel to it! That said, I would be interested to find out how much she settles for and whether or not we get to see the wining bidder.