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n an bid to prevent high-risk teen pregnancy, family planning organization Dharmendra Kumar Tyagi (DKT) Indonesia is moving forward with a plan to educate thousands of high school and university students across the country about reproductive health.

DKT Indonesia strategic planning manager Aditya A. Putra said that married teen couples in Indonesia — aged between 15 and 19 — were less aware about contraception than those aged 20 and above.

The 2017 Indonesian Demographic Health Survey revealed that 43.8 percent of married couples aged between 15 and 19 used birth control, such as condoms, contraceptive pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs), while use is more widespread among couples aged 20 to 24, 25 to 29, 30 to 34 and 35 to 39.

Fifty-five to 61 percent of married couples in each of the population brackets use contraceptives.

With many young married couples being reluctant to use birth control, teen pregnancy is more likely to happen. Unfortunately, pregnancy among women below 20 years is risky because it can lead to miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight or fetal distress, among other things.

UNICEF previously announced that complications during pregnancy and childbirth were the second leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19. Moreover, babies born to mothers under 20 are 1.5 times more likely to die during the first 28 days than babies born to mothers in their 20s or 30s.

“Therefore, DKT Indonesia plans to visit 216 schools and universities in 11 cities this year to educate youth about the importance of contraception, as well as family planning,” Aditya said on Tuesday during an event to commemorate World Contraception Day, which falls on Sept. 26. Among the cities to be visited are Medan and Deli Serdang in North Sumatra, Brebes and Cilacap in Central Java and Makassar in South Sulawesi.

According to National Population and Family Planning Board (BKKBN) data in 2017, only 52.4 percent of teenagers were knowledgeable about reproductive health, which includes information about contraception and sexually transmitted diseases. Furthermore, only 18 percent of the country’s youth know about the ideal age to get married and to fall pregnant.

The BKKBN has suggested that the minimum age for a woman to have a baby is 24.

According to a Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and John Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (JHUCCP) joint study, about 10 percent of teenage girls aged 15 to 19 are currently pregnant or about to give birth.

A BKKBN director, Widwiono, said the agency was calling on young women to get married only after they were 20 years old to avoid risky teenage pregnancies.

“The ideal age for marriage is 21 for women and 25 for men,” he said, adding that before reaching the minimum age, young people were encouraged to continue their education or get decent jobs.

Child marriage is still common in Indonesia, with the BKKBN recording that one out of nine girls under 18 years old got married in 2017. Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana S. Yembise said cultural and religious norms were the main causes of child marriage in Indonesia.

Some Islamic clerics say that girls are ready for marriage once they start menstruating, which is believed by many.

The government is also facilitating the practice by retaining the prevailing Marriage Law that stipulates that the age of consent to marriage is 16 years for females and 19 years for males.