Silent crisis of underage teens

The Sun

3 days ago

AMIDST silence and stigma, the numbers continue to rise. Malaysia is facing a growing crisis of underage sexual activity but existing norms, policies and school systems are failing to respond with the urgency the data demands.
Just two months ago, Berita Harian reported a 17% spike in such cases in Kelantan during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, with children as young as 10 engaging in sexual acts. Worryingly, many cases involved risky behaviour – exchanging explicit content, having multiple partners and even incest.
According to the 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), 7.6% of secondary school students had engaged in sexual intercourse while 5.7% were sexually active, a slight rise from NHMS 2017 (7.3% and 5.3%, respectively).
Among those sexually active, only 11.8% used condoms and 11.9% used other contraceptives, underscoring a grave risk of teenage pregnancies.
The same survey found that 10.7% of respondents had more than one sexual partner, sparking concerns about sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among adolescents. In 2022, 408 gonorrhoea cases were recorded among Malaysians under 21, making up 22.4% of all cases.
This trend is not merely a moral issue or a lapse in individual judgement but a result of structural failures in education, healthcare, family engagement and public discourse. Despite policy frameworks on paper, the gap between knowledge and action remains dangerously wide.
While most encounters are consensual, sex involving children is illegal in Malaysia. The Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 defines a child as under 18, prohibiting all forms of sexual abuse, including physical and non-physical sexual assault, grooming, sexual communication and child pornography.
As the age of consent for girls is 16 in Malaysia, any intercourse involving girls younger than that is legally considered rape, regardless of consent. Despite lower rates of premarital sex than in Western countries, the rising number of teenage pregnancies suggests a mismatch as public discourse around these issues remains heavily stigmatised.
Fourteen out of every 1,000 Malaysian girls become pregnant annually, averaging 18,000 teenage pregnancies a year. If not addressed, these can carry serious health risks for mother and child.
Teenage mothers are especially vulnerable to mental illness, STD, premature rupture of membranes, poor nutrition, anaemia and excessive uterine bleeding – all of which can cause maternal death. Their babies also face higher risks of low birth weight, stillbirth and stunting due to nutritional deficiencies. Most cases involve unmarried girls from poor, less-educated backgrounds, for whom raising a child is financially impossible. As a result, many resort to baby dumping.
Police data shows that at least 10 babies were dumped monthly between 2018 and 2021. Of the 449 recorded cases, only 149 babies were found alive. Without safe, accessible and stigma-free reproductive options, desperate girls, often too young and too poor to raise a child, are left with tragic alternatives.
Baby dumping is not a moral collapse; it is a predictable consequence of systemic silence. Although abortion and contraceptives are legal under medical supervision, many turn to unregulated channels due to social stigma, risking unsafe procedures.
A study found that Malaysian adolescents who smoked, drank alcohol or used illicit drugs were more likely to engage in sex. In contrast, lower rates were observed among those with close friends, supportive peers and strong parental bonds, indicators of robust social support.
Evidence also shows that caregiver control, parental awareness, curfews and dating rules are linked to delayed sexual initiation and reduced risk-taking. The benefits of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in preventing unplanned sex, risky behaviour and harassment are well documented. Global research shows that CSE boosts awareness and literacy, promoting safer sexual choices.
Yet in Malaysia, CSE implementation remains weak. Key obstacles include the lack of a standardised curriculum, insufficient teacher training and cultural and religious sensitivities.
A further concern is adolescents' poor understanding of sexuality and reproductive health (SRH), especially among rural youths. While the Education Ministry has attempted to integrate SRH into co-curricular modules and primary instruction, the fragmented delivery, lack of training and resistance from communities have rendered these efforts inconsistent and ineffective.
Though SRH content has been partially integrated into school subjects, it remains non-compulsory under the national curriculum. Most delivery occurs via external programmes. In primary schools, where it is included, students receive only 13 hours of instruction per year, and HIV education is limited to two sessions annually.
To tackle the troubling rise in underage sexual activity, Malaysia must adopt a holistic approach.
School-based CSE: Mandate CSE as a stand-alone subject in schools while integrating it into other subjects, such as biology and social sciences. A well-designed curriculum should promote health, decision-making and awareness of bodily rights.
Sweden, the first country to make sex education compulsory, teaches key concepts such as puberty, reproduction, gender roles, sexual identity, relationships, STD and contraception. Given the link between substance use, pornography exposure and risky sexual behaviour, CSE should also include media literacy and substance abuse prevention.
In Malaysia, CSE must be culturally and religiously sensitive, aligning with community values. Research shows that age-appropriate sexuality education should begin earlier, ideally before puberty, to equip children with the understanding to protect themselves and report abuse. This is vital in cases of incest, which often go unreported due to confusion, fear or manipulation by perpetrators. The rise in incest cases demands stronger safeguards for child protection through early education and open dialogue.
Public destigmatisation and community engagement: Step up efforts to normalise conversations around SRH through nationwide awareness campaigns. Collaborating with community leaders, educators and youths will help dismantle taboos and foster support for sexuality education.
Educator training and readiness: Require in-service and pre-service training for all CSE instructors. Equip teachers with accurate, up-to-date and scientifically validated knowledge and the skills to address sensitive topics such as sexual and gender-based violence, as well as sexual abuse. Partner with civil society to create teaching materials, frameworks and training workshops.
Parental involvement in SRH education: Parents play a vital role in guiding and supporting adolescents. Open communication at home can reduce stigma and promote healthier attitudes towards SRH.
Continuous policy review and research: The government must regularly evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives such as the National Reproductive and Social Health Education Policy and Action Plan and the Reproductive Health and Social Education programmes. Ongoing research is vital to close enforcement gaps, refine strategies and align with global best practices.
Failing to act now will not only endanger the health and future of thousands of adolescents but also entrench a generational cycle of silence, vulnerability and neglect.
Dr Margarita Peredaryenko and
Avyce Heng are part of the research team at Emir Research, an independent think-tank focused on
strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.