Mama Mershi Benu (36) decided to undergo a permanent contraceptive procedure—tubal ligation—after giving birth to her fifth child. Before that, she had used injectable contraception and later switched to pills. Eventually, she opted for a permanent method after an unplanned pregnancy following her fourth child. For her, this decision was not just about the type of contraception, but about exercising her freedom to choose and plan her family.
Mama Mershi is a homemaker, an early childhood education teacher, and a health volunteer at the local posyandu (community health post) in Bena Village, South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Her daily life revolves around caring for her five children and teaching young learners.
“I’ve been a posyandu volunteer since 2015. Every month, I help weigh children, measure their arm circumference, and monitor their growth,” she explained.
Through these activities, she often encourages women to maintain their reproductive health, including giving birth at health facilities and choosing appropriate contraception.
“After joining activities organized by IPAS Indonesia, we started talking more openly about reproductive health. It used to be a taboo subject, but now we can discuss it publicly,” she added.
For Mama Mershi, the experience of choosing contraception is deeply personal. “After my first child, I used three-month injections. Then I switched to pills. Four years later, I got pregnant again with my second child. For my third and fourth children, I was still on pills, but maybe I missed doses, so I got pregnant,” she recalled.
She shared that when her contraception failed, her husband was happy because it meant more children. “Our first child is a girl, the second and third are boys, and the fifth is a girl,” she said.
This experience motivated her to choose tubal ligation. She discussed the decision with her husband. “We agreed that the fifth child would be the last, so I should get sterilized. He supported it because we both work—I’m a teacher too—so managing more kids would be difficult,” she explained.
She learned about various contraceptive methods, including tubal ligation, through IPAS Indonesia’s programs, such as thematic discussions organized by its local partner, CIS Timor Indonesia.
“During my pregnancy, I attended an IPAS session at the village hall where they explained different family planning methods. That’s when I decided to get sterilized,” she said.
She communicated her choice when delivering her baby at a maternal hospital in Kupang in March 2024. “I requested a cesarean section, so they sterilized me during the procedure. The cost was covered by BPJS,” she noted.
IPAS Indonesia, as a partner for reproductive justice, hopes to see more women like Mama Mershi—women who understand and can make decisions about their reproductive health based on their needs and desires, with full support and access to their rights.
In East Nusa Tenggara, IPAS Indonesia collaborates with the government, local partners, and communities through the TAKENUSA Project (Tekad Bersama untuk Kesehatan Perempuan Nusa Tenggara). This initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality and improve access to family planning services.
