Anissa S. Febrina, Jakarta – A friend in need is a friend indeed, the saying goes. Unfortunately, for teenagers with unwanted pregnancies, the lack of "true" friends leads them to seek less-than-friendly ones in their time of trouble.
High school student Eva (not her real name) is among those who sought help with her unwanted pregnancy in all the wrong places.
When she found out she was two months pregnant, the result of unprotected sex with her boyfriend, she desperately sought abortion methods ranging from the classic approach of eating pineapples, to visiting traditional mid-wives. "I did not know what to do and who could help," the 15-year-old said.
While some might argue that a campaign to promote morality works better than teaching young people about safer sex, there is also a need to provide help and options for youngsters who are already in trouble.
Despite the fact that 40 percent of abortion cases in the city involve young single women or girls, Jakarta has few centers to provide them with psychological and educational support.
With a high percentage of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers, Jakarta needs to integrate preventive and "curative" actions, the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) says. IPPF runs the CMM Youth Center in Pisangan, East Jakarta, as well as 25 others nationwide.
The center receives an average of six calls a day asking for information on safer sex. It sees an unwanted pregnancy every two months, coordinator Bonitha Merlina said Friday.
"For those with unwanted pregnancies, we provide information on the options they can choose, as well as the consequences, be it carrying on with the pregnancy or having an abortion," IPPF vice chairwoman Lismayani said.
Even though abortion is illegal, referring pregnant teenagers to places that provide safe abortions is better for their health than letting them seek unsafe ones.
An IPPF study in 2003 found that 31.7 percent of women with unwanted pregnancies tried traditional methods or herbal medicines before seeking out certified clinics and medical practitioners. Unsafe abortions have contributed to the nation's high maternal mortality rate of 307 per 100,000 live births.
A separate study on the issue recommended providing safe abortions as a woman's reproductive right, accompanied by counseling sessions before and after.
As if the decision about whether to keep her baby were not difficult enough, a pregnant teen often becomes a social outcast, especially when her partner refuses to share the responsibility.
"Ideally, we should work with schools and health institutions to educate teenagers in general and those who already have unwanted pregnancies," IPPF advocacy division head Chatarina Wahyurini said Friday.
Although there are no official regulations on the issue, schools immediately expel students who are found to be pregnant, while their partners do not receive so much as a warning, Wahyurini said.
"If a pregnant student still wishes to continue her studies, she must move to another school. This is sometimes impossible for those from poor families," she added.
The IPPF argues unwanted pregnancies are a social issue, not just a matter of individual mistakes, and thus the consequences should not be discriminatory.