High School Students in Jambi Spreading Awareness on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights to their Peers

Merangin Women Alliance or Aliansi Perempuan Merangin (APM) in Jambi, one of the members of PERMAMPU (Perempuan Sumatera Mampu) Consortium, holding the school as a target of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (HKSR) socialisation. This is driven by the importance of HKSR and understanding by young people at school age, and also for getting them to play an active role in preventing early marriage and adolescent reproductive health disorders.

The number of early marriage cases is growing rapidly, due to the absence of adequate control on sexual promiscuity among teenagers, lack of understanding of reproductive health and social ethics, and also the negative influence of technology that be more easily to access. In addition, early pregnancy is very vulnerable because of the lack of endurance of the young girls. Furthermore, early marriage can lead to domestic violence caused by unprepared psychologically while undergoing households and economic demands. Supervision from parents and teachers is no longer considered sufficient, thus it is necessary for the adolescents themselves to have proper understanding and awareness.

APM together with several schools in Merangin, formed Adolescent Counseling Information Center (PIK R) which is supported by MAMPU Program. Through PIK R, each school has some student representative(s) who became an ambassador and peer counselors for their friends. They trained as PIK R board and given special training (Training on Trainer) to be given an insight into HKSR issues and all matters related to teenage promiscuity. The resource person of the training is coming from APM and also competent parties such as health experts, doctors, midwives and religious leaders.

In running the PIK R, APM and schools are doing collaboration with the School Health Unit (UKS) and Student Organisation (OSIS). PIK R program also integrated with the government and other institutions, such as the Regent, the Department of Health, Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Department of Education, Police, Courts, traditional figure and religious figures.

Asa Ayu, students of SMAN 5 Merangin, becomes the PIK R caretaker that represent her school. She explained that by joining this program, she gained a lot of knowledge, especially about HKSR. She understands sexuality as an insight, not only understood as intimate relationships. Asa felt that this knowledge is very important to her.

“I came to know in detail the functions of reproductive organs and understanding about drugs and narcotics that should never be abused,” said Asa. She added, “I am grateful for MAMPU Program through APM, so that I can be involved in the efforts to provide an understanding of various issues on HKSR and adolescents. I will share all the information and insights I got to my other friends, because it is my duty”.

Not only Asa, there is also Supardi from SMAN 12 Merangin who joined PIK R.  He gains a lot of insight into all the problems faced by young people, and he also able to share his knowledge with his friends. From the PIK R, Supardi prefered to access Internet with good content only and suggested his friends the same thing.

“From the internet, there are a lot of negative impact that we are not ready to address”, said Supardi.

Ari Surya Febriana (17) from SMAN 5 Merangin, joined the PIK R board R since January 2015. She gains more understanding about sexuality. Previously, she only got a little information about HKSR and it make her confused because she did not received detailed explanations. But after joining training on trainers from APM, her knowledge regarding HKSR has deepening. She learned more about the issue through Internet, and she also had discussions with midwives, doctors, parents and lots of reading from books.

“Because I work as a peer counselor, I have a responsibility to gain more knowledge. To be more reliable and more convincing, I deepen more knowledge about HKSR from various sources, in order to answer the questions from my friends”, said Ari.

Ari did a deeper discussion with her female friends. She suggested that during the menstruation, women should frequently change her pads so they will not attacked by harmful germs and so does for underwear to maintain cleanliness.

As the vice chairman of the student council at his school, Rusydi Amin from SMPN 13 Merangin always bring the issues and discussion about HKSR to his friends in every student council meeting. Although sometimes he trivialised by some of his friends about his duty as a counselor, Rusydi stayed confident and energized in disseminating HKSR issues and teen promiscuity.

According to Ani Trihandayani, teacher of SMAN 5 Merangin who supervised PIK R, this program gave a lot efforts to prevent unwanted pregnancies and teenage promiscuity in Merangin, Jambi.

Budi Handoko, teacher of MTs Al Khoiriyah also revealed that PIK R program trained students’ leadership skills. As a board, they are required to manage their friends in directing to good relationships.

“Usually, the PIK R board was selected by some of criterias, such as: student with outstanding academic records and idol in the school. It is because if the idol talk, their friends will listen to them”, said Budi. “In order to make PIK R board become more confident and enthusiastic in carrying out their duties, they are confirmed as peer counselors by inducted at the school’s flag ceremony.”

Elpi Ediyanti from SMP 13, expressed her hope that PIK R can be included in the curriculum and local content. In addition, she hopes that the availability of books, brochures and posters as props for counseling to be reproduced, and regular meetings conducted more massive.