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Easy access to condoms at
convenience stores is leading Indonesian teenagers to engage in risky sexual
behavior, according to a top official in the government’s Child Protection
Commission. Asrorun Ni’am Sholeh, CPC’s deputy chair, is proposing a ban on
condom purchases by unmarried teens. In Indonesia, the minimum marriage age is
16 for females and 19 for males.
“Allowing children to buy condoms
and use them to engage in risky sexual behavior is against the principle of
child protection,” said Sholeh. CPC became alarmed about the situation around
Valentine’s Day, when convenience stores were giving away condoms with
purchases of chocolates.
Indonesia has one of Asia’s
fastest-growing HIV epidemics, according to UN figures. In 2010, the agency
estimated 333,200 people were living with the virus across the vast
archipelago.
Artist Merdeka Sirait, of the
National Commission on Children, said his non-governmental group conducted a
survey in 2007 and found 93 percent of high school students in 12 major cities
reported some kind of sexual contact. He worries blocking access to condoms
will harm Indonesian youths further, since proper sex education already is
lacking.
“Depriving [teenagers] of access to
condoms will only increase the risks of them contracting HIV/AIDS,” said
Sirait. “Condom use among unmarried youngsters may be controversial, but we
can’t hide from the fact that many teenagers are sexually active.”
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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