Early marriage is a marriage carried out by a couple before reaching the age of 18 years. Besides being bad for health, early marriage also has the potential to trigger sexual violence and human rights violations.
Through legislation in Indonesia, the minimum age for marriage is 19 years, both male and female. If it has not reached that age, marriage can be said to be an early marriage.
Some studies even show that early marriage in adolescence has a negative medical and psychological impact and is more at risk of leading to divorce.
Reasons for Early Marriage Not Recommended
In Indonesia, early marriage can occur for various reasons and one of them is to prevent sex outside of marriage. There are also parents who marry off their teenage children for economic reasons.
This is based on the assumption that by marrying off a child, the burden on parents will be reduced because the child's life will be the responsibility of the spouse after marriage.
Not a few parents also think that their children will have a better life after marriage. In fact, if the child drops out of school, it will only prolong the chain of poverty. Early marriage is also more common in the lower middle class.
Early marriage is not the only solution, because early marriage can actually lead to other things. The following are reasons why early marriage should not be carried out:
1. The risk of sexually transmitted diseases increases
Sexual intercourse performed by a partner under the age of 18 years, will be more at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV. This can happen due to a lack of knowledge about healthy and safe sex, so the use of contraceptives is still very low.
2. The risk of sexual violence increases
Studies show that women who undergo early marriage are more likely to experience violence from their partners. The young age to carry out the household often makes the couple unable to think maturely.
His emotional condition is not yet stable, so it is easy to get carried away by anger and ego. In the end, the problem is not solved by means of communication and discussion, but by means of violence, both physically and verbally.
Although initially early marriage was intended to protect oneself from sexual violence, the reality is quite the opposite. The risk of violence is higher, especially if the age gap between husband and wife is getting farther.
3. The risk of pregnancy increases
Early pregnancy is not easy and tends to be more risky. Rows of risks that can occur are not kidding and can endanger the condition of the mother and fetus.
In the fetus, the risk that can occur is premature birth and low birth weight. Babies can also experience growth and development problems because they are at a higher risk of experiencing disorders from birth, plus the lack of parental knowledge in caring for them.
Meanwhile, mothers who are still teenagers are also more at risk of developing anemia and preeclampsia. This condition will affect the condition of fetal development. If preeclampsia has become eclampsia, this condition will harm the mother and fetus, and can even result in death.
4. Risk of experiencing psychological problems
Not only the physical impact, mental and psychological disorders are also at a higher risk for women who marry at a young age.
Research shows that the younger a woman is at marriage, the higher her risk of developing mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and depression, later in life.
5. Low level of social and economic risk
Not only in terms of health, early marriage can also be said to rob women of their own teenage years. Youth should be filled with playing and learning to achieve a better future and financial ability.
However, this opportunity is actually exchanged for the burden of taking care of children and the household. Some of those who undergo early marriage tend to drop out of school, because they inevitably have to fulfill their responsibilities after marriage. Likewise, young men who are psychologically not ready to bear a living and act as husbands and fathers.
Marriage is not as simple as one might think. Requires maturity in terms of physical, psychological, and emotional. This is why early marriage is discouraged and the number of early marriages should be suppressed.
Maturity mentally and financially is also an important aspect that needs to be considered before deciding to undergo a marriage and build a household.
If you experience violence, both physical and emotional, to the extent that it affects your psychological condition, don't hesitate to consult a doctor or psychologist.