Women are typically more sensitive to some issues. For example, consider access to sexual and reproductive health services, especially in undeveloped areas like West Papua. Also, please keep in mind that this area is among the largest players in terms of the number of HIV/AIDS patients, with DKI Jakarta holding the top spot.
This is due to a lack of access to sexual and reproductive health treatments in Papua and West Papua, in addition to a high rate of sexual activity. Therefore, below is a quick outline of all types of sexual difficulties in this beautiful region. Continue reading and stay with us until the end.
Availability of Sexual and Reproductive Health Services
West Papua is Indonesia’s easternmost territory, and it demands special care. Consequently, President Joko Widodo has implemented a number of policy measures. Some efforts were launched to help the land speed up growth in all sectors.
Other issues must be addressed, such as the Papuan people’s sexual and reproductive health, namely HIV/AIDS. According to statistics from the Ministry of Health’s Directorate General of Disease Prevention and Control (P2P), the number of cases in Papua and West Papua in 2020 was 23,629.
Several variables have led to this high number, one of which is that sex outside of marriage is still extremely common in Papua. In Jayapura alone, there are at least 40 entertainment places and about 500 sex workers.
Not to mention that, in actuality, many of the youngsters who should still be in school are already married. So, indeed, the child marriage rate in this province remains high. There are additional health issues that arise as a result of this.
In terms of health-care access, the central and local governments have begun to implement a variety of programs to address current sex and reproductive issues. One way is to offer to counsel and encourage the community to engage in healthy sex practices.
Unfortunately, community compliance remains poor, so specific measures are required to urge the Papuans to be more observant and to maintain the health of their reproductive organs, one of which is by using condoms.
This socialization process is being carried out actively by the local government, specifically by working together with mayors, regents, and chiefs of the Health Service in Papua.
The Impacts of The Restrictions
Papua’s terrain is extremely wealthy. Consider gold and copper mining, which have become the most powerful single taxpayers in Indonesia, allowing the country to continue going forward.
Unfortunately, many individuals are still unable to sense it. There are several situations that need to be resolved. Here are some of the consequences of this inequality:
1. Sexual illnesses are becoming more prevalent in society
This occurs because, due to a lack of information about reproductive health, individuals in Papua are unaware that there are hazards lurking around them, the most common of which is HIV/AIDS, which is currently incurable.
Apart from HIV/AIDS, the prevalence of cervical illness in Papua is high due to the rise of child marriage. Some children under the age of 20 are already married and sexually active. In contrast, the reproductive organs are not biologically developed at that age.
This is one of the reasons why Papuan women, especially girls from low-income homes, need to be informed about things that are extremely dangerous to women from diverse perspectives.
As a response, one of the initiatives that the government might take is to actively promote and give access to low-cost education, even if it is free for children in Papua. This has begun with the distribution of various special scholarships for Papuans, for example, the ADiK scholarship.
2. High mortality rate
According to reports, the mortality rate among pregnant women who give birth is fairly high. This is a very unfortunate phenomenon that has the potential to upset the balance of population development in Papua.
For every 1,000 live births, 35 babies die during the first month of life, and another 109 die before the age of five. This does not include stunting or malnutrition among babies in Papua, which remains a major issue. As a result, the parties involved must pay close attention to this fact once more.
3. Quality of Human Resources is low
As previously stated, Papuans engage in a lot of sexual activity. According to UNICEF data, children account for 38% of West Papua’s total population.
So, while maternal and infant mortality rates in Papua are quite high, so is the birth rate on this gold ground. So, the government has begun to assertively propagate the family planning program.
This family planning program also aims to limit the number of pregnancies so that they do not interfere with previous pregnancies. The government has set a minimum of three years and a maximum of five years between pregnancies. This is directed to maintaining the quality of Papuan children’s growth and development.
The Bottom Line
The health sector is one of many issues to be addressed. This must be battled for to raise Papua’s HDI, or Human Development Index, which is still lagging behind the national average.
So, once again, women in West Papua must pay close attention to reproductive health issues and what can be done to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery date, both for mother and baby.
