Kuala lumpur: 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.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, citing Health Ministry statistics on cases registered at government health facilities, Noraini stated that 2,737 cases were reported in 2023, 2,752 in 2024, and 655 in the first quarter of 2025. She referenced a 2015 study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia, titled 'A Review of Teenage Pregnancy Research in Malaysia', which identified limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education as a major factor that leaves many teenagers unaware of how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies.
Noraini noted that 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 addressed these insights during the Dewan Rakyat's question-and-answer session today, in response to Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman) who inquired about the number of cases, growth rates, and main causes of teenage pregnancies in each state from 2023 to the first quarter of 2025.
The deputy minister highlighted a 2020 study published in the Malaysian Journal of Psychology, which cited peer pressure and media influence, particularly exposure to sexually explicit content, as contributing factors. Noraini also mentioned socioeconomic challenges such as poverty, school dropouts, and a lack of job opportunities as factors increasing teenagers' vulnerability to the risk of teenage pregnancies.
Addressing a supplementary question from Doris Sophia regarding a national action plan to tackle the issue, Noraini outlined the ministry's initiatives which include the development of the Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEKERTI) module and an action plan to combat underage marriages. This module is designed to cover reproductive health knowledge, decision-making skills, character development, and personal safety from sexual harassment and abuse.