Director of the Young Women’s Movement Organisation (MOFFE), Yasinta Luijina, called on society not to consider information about reproductive and sexual health as inappropriate information and not to be afraid to discuss the issue in public, because young people have the right to access accurate and appropriate information.
“Young people have the right to receive information about reproductive and sexual health so they can understand the consequences, particularly regarding early pregnancy and other diseases that can pose risks to their future,” she said.
She said that families and schools have a major responsibility to provide information about reproductive and sexual health to young people so they can understand these issues.
“We need to continue raising awareness among young people and strengthen their knowledge about reproductive health, because each person’s body belongs to them, and each person must be able to protect their own body,” she said.
In addition, she said that people now live in an era of globalisation where technology has become part of everyday life. Technology has the advantage of allowing people to research and expand their knowledge but also has disadvantages because pornography can be accessed through the internet, which can contribute to early pregnancy.
On the other hand, young woman Angelina Tilman acknowledged that many young people currently lack knowledge about reproductive health and do not know who to consult when they have a problem.
“We greatly appreciate the efforts made by civil society and schools to provide reproductive and sexual health education to young people so that they can gain knowledge about these issues,” she said.
She said that many young people marry early because they do not have sufficient access to accurate information about reproductive and sexual health to properly guide themselves.
She stressed that young people could end up engaging in casual sexual relationships that result in early pregnancy and affect their future.
In addition, she said that awareness should be provided to young people, particularly girls, about menstrual hygiene in schools, as well as reproductive health education.
