The head of the Nusa Tenggara branch of Indonesia’s Pontifical Mission Societies says preventing premarital sex among teenagers is a challenge everyone in the province must face. “This relates to various aspects such as moral and spiritual growth among teenagers,” Sister Maria Agnes Wathun said today. The Religious of the Virgin Mary nun was commenting on a recent survey on sexual knowledge and behavior among 500 teenagers at senior and junior high schools, which revealed that 29.5 percent of them have had sex. “It is time for children to be taught about sex so that they can avoid the trouble it can cause them through ignorance or misleading advice on sex from their friends. Sex education is not taboo anymore,” she asserted. She said the survey should also encourage the local Church to keep instilling Christian values in children and teenagers. “To keep children and teenagers from doing something which is actually harmful to them, [we] need to provide intensive guidance which they will find interesting,” she continued. She said that in early December, the Pontifical Mission Societies will organize a meeting between Catholic teachers and formators from the Pontifical Society of Children and Youth Missioners to discuss the issue. “Honestly, we are looking for a new ways of guiding children and teenagers which will boost their creativity,” she said. Markus Alibrandi from St. Joseph Church in Naikoten said the survey highlighted the fact that parents need to do more in educating young people in reproductive health. “I think parents should spend more time at home and teach their children about sex,” he said. Related Report: Church responds to porn survey
