All adults have experienced being a teenager. World Health Organization defines youth as people aged 12 to 24 years. And during youth, humans experience a transition from childhood to adulthood. It means physically they can become humans who can reproduce, but their psychological, social and economic still depend on their parents. They should experience a process of introduction and gain knowledge of reproductive health.
Seeing the state of youth, maintaining their reproductive health is very important. In adolescence we get the best time to develop good habits so that they can grow with good behavior in maintaining hygiene and health which will later become assets in the long run.
Reproduction can be interpreted as the process of human in reproducing offspring. Some people see it as a taboo, because they think that reproduction is only related to sexual problems or intimate relationships. Reproduction is very broad, preparing their mentality and make they behave well is also in it.
Incorrect interpretation of reproduction makes many parties especially parents feel uncomfortable to discuss it with teenagers. Reproductive health is very broad including healthy conditions of reproductive systems, functions, and processes.
This condition makes problems and challenges on reproductive health education leading to things that are not desirable. One of the things that often occurs due to lack of dissemination and education is sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy at a young age, to abortion that results in the loss of adolescent lives. All this is because teenagers do not get good and right sources of information that will be useful for them.
Many parties should get together to make teenagers become quite literate about reproductive health information. The government through the Ministry of Health, Youth and Sports, Education, and even Religion Affairs have the same responsibility for this.
Furthermore, many parties outside the government are expected to play active role such as NGOs, social organizations, PKK and mass media. When all of them voice the same thing and play their role in providing correct information and educating adolescents, especially in terms of reproductive health, adolescents will be in a safe zone.
The legislative role is also very important in making policies that support the development of adolescent reproductive health. The legislature makes legal rules that provide space, opportunities and possibilities for young people to get information, education and services in the field of reproductive health.
The role of parents is important in sexual education of adolescents, because most teenagers are still in the family environment which protect, educate and provide them with their needs.
Why is knowledge of reproductive health in adolescents so important? Because by having the right knowledge of the reproductive process, as well as how to maintain their health, it will make them more responsible in choosing behaviors and lifestyles that are not at risk, especially regarding the reproductive process.
Nowadays, many stakeholders place the responsibility for adolescent reproductive health solely on the health sector. That is certainly a big mistake because adolescents have a life in many social groups, for example families, schools, villages, informal groups, religious groups and many more. With all stakeholders willing to fight together and play an appropriate role, good reproductive health is not impossible.
All parties have actually played their roles. They just need to optimize what has been done for teenagers, and they can fight together. Adolescents can learn reproductive health well and comfortably so that they will get sufficient and useful knowledge for their future. (*)
Author: Pulung Siswantara
Full article can be accessed at
https://www.ijicc.net/images/Vol11iss6/11625_Muthmainnah_2020_E_R.pdf
