Agustina Wayansari, Jakarta – The National Family Planning Board (PKBI) is taking a creative new approach to sex education and counseling that involves talking face-to-face with teenagers in high-risk STD transmission areas.
Sponsored by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Indonesia, the organization initiated 18 months ago a program called "market outreach", with the aim of giving young people in three traditional markets of East Jakarta – Cipinang Market, Klender main market and Perumnas Klender Market – improved access to sexual and reproductive health services and information.
"We found there are high rates of sexually transmitted diseases among young people working as laborers in the markets, as well as street children in the surrounding neighborhoods," said Ida Rochayati, the program manager for the outreach program.
According to Ida, the number of youngsters in the country who are sexually active is "huge", while the teenagers working in places like traditional markets are at highest risk for HIV/STD infection, partly due to the low rates charged by sex workers in the areas, of between Rp 10,000 (US$1.20) and Rp 30,000.
"This group faces major sexual and reproductive health-related issues, including sexually transmitted diseases from unsafe sex as well as HIV infection from drug usage," Ida told The Jakarta Post last month while observing the outreach program in Klender Market.
Ida said it was not easy to win the trust of young people, especially in talking about sex.
But with the help of peer educators, who were recruited from among the youth in the areas, the PKBI has reached thousands of youngsters aged 10-24 years, providing them with information on sex and reproductive health issues, including the importance of using condoms during sex, STDs and HIV/AIDS prevention, and even lighter issues such as the importance of wearing clean underwear.
Ida said the main target of the program was get young people to practice "safe and responsible sex".
"We have so far recruited and trained some 50 peer educators in three markets. They become our assistants in spreading the information and sex education materials such as brochures and books among their peers. Sometimes they also become counselors for their friends," Ida said.
"I have become a mobile condom machine for my friends," said Gugun Gunawan, one of the peer educators in Klender Market, laughing.
The 20-year-old was consulting with an outreach officer from PKBI about his friend, who intended to have a test for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) at PKBI's clinic in Cipinang area, East Jakarta, that afternoon.
Being a "bridge" between his friends and the PKBI officers is among Gugun's main duties as a peer educator, aside from spreading information on safe sex.
"I have many friends who face the difficult situation (of having a sexually transmitted diseases). They don't know who to turn to for help," Gugun said, adding that he is proud to become useful for others through his involvement with PKBI's program.
Ida said the PKBI regularly held support group meetings with peer educators like Gugun, to update their knowledge as well as getting their input from the field. Ida said the program had reached around 2,000 teenagers in the three market areas.
"We have received good feedback, and our clinic has recorded an increasing number of teenagers coming for counseling and being tested for STDs," she said.