Teen pregnancies see slight increase in past two years
The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that 2,737 teenage pregnancy cases were reported in 2023 and 2,752 cases in 2024, showing an increase of 15 cases (0.5%).
'Preliminary data for January to March 2025 recorded a total of 655 cases of teenage pregnancy among those under the age of 18,' she told Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman).
Noraini said Sarawak topped the list with the highest number of cases for both years, followed by Sabah and Pahang.
'According to a study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia in 2015 titled 'A review of teenage pregnancy research in Malaysia', one of the main causes of teenage pregnancy in Malaysia is limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education,' she said.
This, she added, could have led to many teenagers not clearly understanding how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies.
Noraini said this finding is also supported by the results of the Risk and Protective Factors among Adolescents towards Reproductive and Social Health Survey, published by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) in 2019.
Another study published in the Malaysian Journal of Psychology in 2020 also listed several other contributing factors such as peer pressure and media influence, particularly exposure to openly sexual content, Noraini said.
'This can shape norms and perceptions that encourage teenagers to experiment.
'From a socio-economic perspective, poverty, school dropout, and lack of employment opportunities were also identified as factors that increase teenagers' vulnerability to this risk.
'Additionally, family background and lifestyle can contribute to an increase in risky sexual behaviour,' she added.
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The Star
3 days ago
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Teen pregnancies see slight increase in past two years
TEEN pregnancy cases continue to show a slight increase, with over 2,700 cases reported annually over the past two years, says Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad. The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said that 2,737 teenage pregnancy cases were reported in 2023 and 2,752 cases in 2024, showing an increase of 15 cases (0.5%). 'Preliminary data for January to March 2025 recorded a total of 655 cases of teenage pregnancy among those under the age of 18,' she told Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman). Noraini said Sarawak topped the list with the highest number of cases for both years, followed by Sabah and Pahang. 'According to a study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia in 2015 titled 'A review of teenage pregnancy research in Malaysia', one of the main causes of teenage pregnancy in Malaysia is limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education,' she said. This, she added, could have led to many teenagers not clearly understanding how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies. Noraini said this finding is also supported by the results of the Risk and Protective Factors among Adolescents towards Reproductive and Social Health Survey, published by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) in 2019. Another study published in the Malaysian Journal of Psychology in 2020 also listed several other contributing factors such as peer pressure and media influence, particularly exposure to openly sexual content, Noraini said. 'This can shape norms and perceptions that encourage teenagers to experiment. 'From a socio-economic perspective, poverty, school dropout, and lack of employment opportunities were also identified as factors that increase teenagers' vulnerability to this risk. 'Additionally, family background and lifestyle can contribute to an increase in risky sexual behaviour,' she added.
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3 days ago
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Published on: Wednesday, August 13, 2025 Published on: Wed, Aug 13, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Deputy women, family and community development minister Noraini Ahmad said a 2020 study cited contributing factors to teenage pregnancies such as peer pressure and media influence, particularly exposure to sexually explicit content. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: A total of 6,144 teenage pregnancies were recorded between 2023 and March this year, says deputy women, family and community development minister 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. Noraini said that a 2015 study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia identified limited access to comprehensive reproductive health education as a major factor, which left 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,' Bernama reported her as saying in the Dewan Rakyat during question time today. She was responding to 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 said. Responding to a supplementary question from Doris on a national action plan to address the issue, Noraini said the ministry's initiatives include developing the Reproductive and Social Health Education 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. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
