The Complexity of Reproductive Health Problems Among Out of School Adolescent and Youth in Kelurahan Duri Utara, Kecamatan Tambora, Jakarta Barat

1/29/2007 12:00:00 AM

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Penulis/Peneliti: Laurike Moeliono; Wempy Anggal

A Participatory Praxis Research.

Tahun: 2001

This -WHO Financed - Project is originally titled: "Sexually Active Adolescents and the Dual Risks of Unwanted Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infentions: Understanding their Perceptions and Coping strategy" (A Participatory Praxis Action Research among marginal youth in a slum area in West Jakarta, Indonesia).

As a participatory research, research participants were not seen as objects of research but were actively involved during the whole process of research. This research project became the research of the adolescence and youth themselves. During this participatory process of research, when the youth researchers were faced with the reality (data) of their problems and became aware of the need for a solution, they came up with a more problem-based title of their study: i.e. "Looking for a solution to solve the complexity of youth reproductive Health problems, towards a more healthy life style". From that time on, this title was used throughout the study.

This research has two objectives:

1. Understand the complexity and inter-relatedness of adolescence / youth reproductive health and look for ideas to solve problems of youth reproductive health, from the point of view of the youth themselves.
2. Empowers the adolescence / youth research participants during the process of research and after the research process through phases the systematic phases of actions and reflections (praxis: theory and practice). As a result the research will come out with action planning‘s.

This research last 18 months as has been planned. At the end of the research period, youth research participants together with the facilitators, present their research findings in a Seminar, through paper presentations and youth theater. This Seminar has invited positive reactions and responses from seminar participants. NGO‘s, formal leaders, and some government officials offered co-operations and networking in implementing the action plans, which was presented by the youth from the research area.

From an empowerment process point of view this research project succeedeed in understanding the deepest causes or influencing factors of adolescent / youth reproductive health, but at the same time it also succeeded in mobilizing the research participants in looking for alternative solutions and changing the situations. This project maybe seen as a good pilot project to be replicated in other areas with some modifications based on local conditions.