Putri Prameshwari – A shocking survey that found more than 9 out of 10 teenagers in major cities engaged in sexual activity has been disowned by the agency that supposedly carried out the research.

Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) vice chairwoman Masnah Sari had reported that a survey of 4,500 teenagers aged between 14 and 18 in Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya, found that 93 percent had engaged in oral sex and 21.2 percent of the girls had had an abortion.

But on Tuesday, KPAI chairman Hadi Supeno denied the group conducted such a survey. He said KPAI has surveyed the sexual behavior of teenagers in the three cities, "but it was a small one with 100 respondents."

Hadi said there was nothing in the survey about oral sex, nor was it meant to be published. "We conducted the survey as a preliminary study for research we're preparing," he said, adding that the survey was leaked to the media without his knowledge.

Masnah could not be reached for comment. Masnah's claims triggered widespread public reaction and comment online and around the water cooler in offices.

According to Hadi, the small-sample survey KPAI conducted found 32 percent claimed to have had sexual intercourse. He said their reasons for having sex were varied, but KPAI had narrowed them down to three.

For one thing, the teenagers surveyed said they had easy access to pornography. "They get porn videos from the Internet or DVD sellers very easily," Hadi said.

Second, the teenagers, most from upper middle class families, said they had learned about sex from their nightlife. "They go to clubs, meet someone, and it leads to sexual intercourse," Hadi said.

Many of the teenagers claimed they did not receive enough attention from their parents, who did not monitor their time on the Internet or watching television. "This means they do not get enough education on sex and appropriate behavior," Hadi said.

Regardless of which survey results are accurate, child advocates have called for an appropriate response to what still appears to be increasingly liberal attitudes toward sex.

Wahyu Hartomo, assistant to the child protection deputy at the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, said society was conservative and showed a reluctance to address sex education.

"If we give sex education and hand out condoms, they cannot accept it," he said, adding that the less children know about sex, the more they will experiment.

Rijalul Imam, who heads the Indonesian Muslim Students' Action Front, pointed to the role of parents in shaping their children's character. He said that parents had a responsibility to control and protect their children from the excesses that came with free access to information.