This was originally published on the Maternal Health Task Force Blog on Jan. 21, 2016.
“How does it feel after you get an Andalan IUD?” a woman says in the opening line of a ground-breaking
new TV spot (above) in Indonesia promoting
intrauterine devices to married women. “Now we can do it anytime. For sure, my
husband is more content and obedient now,” she says with a mischievous smile.
A second spot targeting
married men poses the same question about how it feels after their wives got
an IUD. “Now, every day, I just want to return home quickly,” he says with a
broad grin. This deals with a widespread myth held by Indonesian men that IUDs
dampen sexual pleasure.
Such ads used to be unheard of in Indonesia, where family
planning is normally promoted from a population control and public health
perspective. Sex is never mentioned. In a country that values discretion, these
commercials link IUDs with sexual pleasure and other benefits of using a long
term, reversible method.
