Premarital sex and health risks: addressing the phenomenon of early marriage in Pacitan Coast, Indonesia

This study examines the construction of the body, adolescent sexuality, and gender roles in the context of premarital sex and early marriage among youth in Watukarung Village, Pacitan Regency, Indonesia. The study specifically explores how changing social norms, digital media exposure, and community pressures shape adolescent sexuality, reproductive experiences, and early marriage practices within a coastal community undergoing socio-cultural transformation. A qualitative ethnographic approach was employed through in-depth interviews with adolescents, young mothers, health cadres, educators, and government representatives, complemented by direct social observation. The findings reveal that premarital intimacy and adolescent sexuality are increasingly normalized through peer interaction, digital culture, and shifting family dynamics. Premarital pregnancy and social stigma frequently position early marriage as a socially accepted mechanism for preserving morality and family honor. These conditions contribute to gender inequality, reproductive vulnerability, psychological stress among young mothers, and limited access to supportive reproductive healthcare services. The study concludes that early marriage in coastal communities is a multidimensional social phenomenon shaped by power relations, gender norms, and cultural transformation, highlighting the importance of culturally sensitive sexuality education, youth-friendly reproductive health services, strengthened family communication, and gender-transformative social policies.