At a webinar held here on Tuesday, Baskoro pointed out that some people still think sex education can encourage teenagers to have sexual intercourse, but many studies have debunked this assumption.
Instead, sex education can teach adolescents to make responsible decisions, he added.
"Sex education provides a good understanding so that they will be able to make responsible decisions," he explained.
He viewed that sex education in Indonesia had yet to be comprehensive.
Baskoro recalled that in 2015, he and his team, with the support of a study related to sex education, had filed a petition to the Supreme Court (MA) to include sex education in formal education.
However, the Court rejected the petition, as the subject was considered too vulgar and sensitive.
Nevertheless, sex education topics can still be incorporated into other subjects, such as biology, physical education, and sociology.
The BRIN researcher also underlined the importance of parental involvement to create an open, safe, and judgment-free space for discussion on sexuality-related issues with their children.
Based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), as of February 2024, the number of people aged 15-19 reached 22 million.
With this large population, Baskoro deems it crucial to invest in adolescents' well-being, especially through comprehensive sex education.
"The high population of teenagers in Indonesia is a crucial capital to realize the Golden Indonesia vision," he remarked.
Translator: Rizka K, Kenzu
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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