KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) — A total of 6,144 teenage pregnancies were recorded between 2023 and March this year, said Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) deputy minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.
Citing Health Ministry statistics on cases registered at government health facilities, she said 2,737 cases were reported in 2023, 2,752 in 2024, and 655 in the first quarter of 2025.
She noted that a 2015 study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia, titled “A Review of Teenage Pregnancy Research in Malaysia”, identified limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education as a major factor, leaving many teenagers unaware of how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies.
“This finding is also supported by the 2019 Study on Adolescent Risk and Protective Factors for Reproductive and Social Health by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN),” she said during the Dewan Rakyat’s question-and-answer session today.
She was responding to Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS–Sri Aman), who had asked about the number of cases, growth rates and main causes of teenage pregnancies in each state from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025.
Noraini said a 2020 study published in the Malaysian Journal of Psychology also cited other contributing factors such as peer pressure and media influence, particularly exposure to sexually explicit content.
“From a socioeconomic perspective, poverty, school dropouts and the lack of job opportunities have also been identified as factors that heighten teenagers’ vulnerability to this risk,” she added.
Responding to a supplementary question from Doris Sophia on a national action plan to address the issue, Noraini said the ministry’s initiatives include developing the Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEKERTI) module and an action plan to tackle underage marriages.
“This module covers reproductive health knowledge, decision-making skills, character development and personal safety from sexual harassment and abuse,” she said.
— BERNAMA
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