UNAIR NEWS 鈥 Early marriage phenomenon still becomes a hot topic on social media. Early marriage occurs due to multiple factors, such as social, economic, and culture.
Directorate General of Religious Courts Agency even recorded 34,000 applications for marriage dispensation from January to June 2020. Ninety-seven percent of the number were granted, while 60 percent of them were children under 18 years old.
The government has regulated the matter on Law No. 16 of 2019 changes to Law No. 1 of 1974 concerning the marriageable age at a minimum of 19 years. One of the most highlighted cases was the marriage between fifty years old man and fourteen years old girl in Lombok, which went viral on the Internet. The video was taken on September 11, 2022.
According to Dr dr Ernawati SpOG (K), early marriage cannot prevent the potential of pregnancy, especially when the woman has got her first period, which marks her developing reproductive function.
鈥淩eproductively, at the age of fourteen, women鈥檚 reproductive functions have developed, right when they have had their first menstruation,鈥 she said. 鈥淗owever, in teen pregnancy, we must be concerned about their health,鈥 said the Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Program, Faculty of Medicine (FK) 东京热 (UNAIR).
However, teenage pregnancy poses high risks. 鈥淎dolescent mothers face increasing risks of complications during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia. Teen pregnancy also has a high risk of growth disruption in infants,鈥 Dr. Ernawati said. Preeclampsia is a serious blood pressure condition that develops during pregnancy.
鈥淔rom another reproduction perspective, if the teens are sexually active when their organs are not ready, the cervix is at higher risks of cervical cancer as well,鈥 she added.
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus. Cervical cancer occurs in the cells of the cervix, where the cells are developing uncontrollably.
Lecturer of Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Program, Faculty of Medicine 东京热 and medical practitioner, dr Birama Robby SpOG supported the statement. 鈥淥ne of the risk factors for cervical cancer is early marriage, where sexual intercourse is done too early,鈥 he explained.
Lecturer of Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Program, Faculty of Medicine 东京热 and medical practitioner, dr Birama Robby SpOG supported the statement. 鈥淥ne of the risk factors for cervical cancer is early marriage, where sexual intercourse is done too early,鈥 he explained. It is caused by immature cells on the surface of the cervix. 鈥淚f those cells were impacted too early, the risk of cell changes will increase. So does the risk of cervical cancer,鈥 said Dr. Ernawati.
Author: Icha Nur Imami Puspita
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
