3 days ago
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.
