Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun has revealed that Malaysia recorded a total of 41,083 teen pregnancies between 2017 and 2022 as per the Ministry of Health (MOH) data. Furthermore, 14,561 cases or 35% of the total cases were pregnancies out of wedlock.
As reported by Code Blue, Rina Harun revealed the statistics through a written response in Parliament to a question by Senator Paul Igai on 22 December 2021. Paul previously asked Rina in the Dewan Negara on the statistics of teen pregnancies by state in the country from 2017 and the steps taken by the government to address the issue.
The written response also said that the number of pregnant teens who opt to get services at government health facilities are 10,000 every year on average. Moreover, the KPWKM Minister further elaborated that the number amounted to around 830 cases each month or 28 teen pregnancies per day in Malaysia.
KPWKM Minister, Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun.
According to teen pregnancy data by the state health departments for the year 2017 until 2020, the top five states with the highest number of out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies were:
- Sarawak (4,869)
- Johor (1,883)
- Selangor (1,768)
- Sabah (1,501)
- Perak (1,151)
As for the steps to address the problem, Rina asserted that KPWKM via the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) is committed to implementing various intervention and preventive programmes on reproductive health and sexuality aimed at adolescents, families and the community to address the issue of underage pregnancy.
KPWKM is also committed to the formulation of a policy and action plan on health, reproductive, and social education (PEKERTI) that aims to raise awareness on the matter among all parties, including women, families, and children.
For illustration purposes only.
Rina stressed that under the action plan, reproductive health will be taught either formally in schools or informally outside of schools to improve general understanding of health reproductive issues.
What do you guys think of the statistics of underage pregnancy in Malaysia and the steps taken to address it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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