The former Indonesian Child Protection official was asked to quit her position after publicly claiming that an "especially strong type of sperm" could impregnate women in swimming pools, as men can become "sexually excited" by a woman's presence and uncontrollably ejaculate, "therefore causing a pregnancy".
Following the eyebrow-raising claim, the Indonesian Ethics Committee (KPAI) issued a letter under the number 01/DE/KPAI/III/2020 politely asking Hirmawatty to resign her position, and adding that if she does not, they would be forced to request that the president of the Republic of Indonesia dismiss her himself, in a way that would not be as respectful.
"The suspected commissioner, Dr. Sitti Hikmawatty, M.Pd, as a public official, has committed an ethical violation that applies to the public office she holds as a Member of the KPAI," the letter said.
Hirmawatty suggested that women who are sexually active must be especially cautious, as they would be the likely to become impregnated in the dangerous swimming pool. Critics quickly observed that not only are sperm unlikely to survive long outside of the body, but the water in swimming pools contains powerful disinfecting chemicals that make it impossible for any sperm, even those that she has classified as "especially strong", to survive.
"The water in swimming pools […] contains chlorine and other chemicals. Sperm cannot survive in these conditions", Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) executive Nazar told local media, commenting on the situation.
Hirmawatty retracted her warning after a wave of criticism, offering that her assertions were instead "personal statements" that should not be associated with her position within KPAI.
Over 87 percent of Indonesians identify as Muslim. Due to religious and cultural taboos, sex before marriage is generally considered a 'sin' in the nation, resulting in uneducated and unmarried couples becoming too ashamed to seek out contraceptives. Condoms are reportedly only used by about 3 percent of Indonesians, as their sale is restricted, and sex education is almost completely absent from school curricula.
