"This contraceptive service is aimed at teenagers who are married but choose to postpone pregnancy until they are ready physically and mentally," acting head of the ministry's Bureau of Communication and Public Services, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, stated.
In a statement received here on Tuesday, Tarmizi remarked that the initiative was taken based on the number of child and teen marriages.
She highlighted that Article 103 of the regulation explains the government's comprehensive initiatives for schoolchildren and teenagers' reproductive health, which is elaborated on in five paragraphs.
The approach taken for each life cycle is different, given that each life cycle has a different kind of reproductive health status, she explained.
Tarmizi also said Article 109 stressed that pregnancy planning is aimed at couples of childbearing age, helping them make decisions such as when to get pregnant, the number of children to have, and the interval between each childbirth.
Deputy Chairman of Commission X at the House of Representatives Abdul Fikri Faqih recently stated that giving contraceptives to students is not in line with the values of national education.
"It is not in line with national education, which (emphasizes) noble deeds and religious values," Faqih noted in a statement received on Monday.
According to Faqih, giving such a facility would allow the students to engage in free sex. He instead suggested that it would be better to educate them about reproductive health through a religious approach or with norms held in the East.
Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024 about implementing regulation for Law Number 17 of 2023 about Health was established on July 26, 2024, and it lists some health initiatives, including school children and teens' reproductive health.
Article 103 mentions that the initiative includes relevant education on reproductive health and some services such as screenings, treatment, rehabilitation, counseling, and contraceptives.
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Translator: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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