The increasingly open presentation of information through the internet-including adult viewing-supported by free time during online learning, causes adolescents to need guidance in understanding information circulating on the internet, especially those related to adolescent reproductive health.
Based on this, the Universitas Indonesia (UI) community service team from the Faculty of Pharmacy (FPharm) and the Faculty of Medicine (FM UI ) was moved to collaborate in conducting adolescent reproductive health counseling activities and training for members of the Youth Red Cross at Junior High School 1 Cluring, Banyuwangi, in August.
“Health issues that need to be understood by the community include reproductive health, nutrition, personal hygiene and sanitation, drug violence and injury (Narcotics, Psychotropic and Additive Substances), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and other infectious diseases, as well as non-communicable diseases and mental health,” said Dr. apt. Anton Bahtiar, M.Biomed, Chairman of Pengmas who is also a lecturer at FPharm UI.
Dr. Anton emphasized the importance of maintaining close friendships between male and female students in order to avoid out-of-bounds actions and the occurrence of unwanted pregnancies, abortions, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV and AIDS. In addition to adolescent reproductive health, his presentation was also related to food hygiene, especially snacks at school. Based on the findings made on some of these foods, positive results were obtained that some contained borax (on bleng snacks and gendar crackers). The community service team checked using ruella flowers. This flower grows a lot in the courtyard of State Junior High School 1 Cluring, so it became an idea for our team to provide knowledge on how to detect borax in food or snacks in a simple and easy-to-apply way by students of State Junior High School 1 Cluring,” said Dr. Ade Arsianti, S.Si., M.Si., who is also a lecturer at FM UI. She said that if borax is consumed, it can cause physical and health problems, such as abdominal pain, dizziness, nausea, cough, sore throat, diarrhea and poisoning, and in the long term accumulated in the body can cause cancer, growth and development disorders in children, causing damage to brain function which can hamper the cognitive aspects of children which will affect the academic grades of school-age children. On the same occasion, several other activities were also carried out, namely counseling related to the importance of Lifting and Moving actions in certain circumstances or during disasters that require transportation mechanisms in the form of lifting and moving victims. This material was delivered by FM UI lecturer, apt. Linda Erlina, M.Farm.
In addition, the activity continued with health checks consisting of blood pressure, blood sugar, total cholesterol and uric acid levels to the students. From the examination results, around 20-25% of junior high school students have increased blood pressure, cholesterol levels and uric acid levels. “This is likely due to lifestyle and diet that contains high fat, high glucose, and high purine. Therefore, there is a need for repeated counseling on the prevention of degenerative diseases in schools, especially in junior high schools in the Banyuwangi area,” said Dr. Anton.
