Kuala lumpur: The rise in out-of-wedlock pregnancies among teenagers calls for a holistic and balanced approach encompassing education, prevention, psychosocial support, and stronger family institutions, according to experts.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Senior lecturer at the Centre for Applied Psychology, Policy and Social Work, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Assoc Prof Dr Rajwani Md Zain, emphasized the importance of close collaboration among the government, schools, families, communities, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to address the issue effectively. She highlighted the need to strengthen reproductive health and healthy relationship education in schools while expanding parenting programs to improve communication between parents and their children.
Dr Rajwani stressed the importance of enhancing access to adolescent-friendly counseling and mental health support services. She also advocated for the strengthening of character-building programs, life skills, and digital literacy to equip teenagers with the tools necessary to make informed decisions. Moreover, she underscored the need for cooperation among relevant agencies to identify at-risk teenagers early and implement appropriate interventions.
Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri had previously highlighted the serious implications of out-of-wedlock pregnancies among teenagers on the future of young people, family institutions, and societal well-being. Ministry of Health data revealed that 21,114 unmarried teenagers aged below 19 were recorded as pregnant at government health facilities between 2019 and 2024.
Dr Rajwani pointed out that the increase in teen pregnancies is driven by factors such as inadequate knowledge of reproductive health, the influence of social media providing easier access to sexual content, and peer pressure. She also noted that poor communication between parents and children on sexuality and healthy relationships, along with psychosocial issues like family conflict, neglect, depression, low self-esteem, and substance abuse, elevate the risk of out-of-wedlock pregnancies.
Chairman of Persatuan Kebajikan Anak Kami, Suraya Ali, remarked that existing awareness initiatives and programs remain inadequate, as they are primarily reactive. She proposed strengthening digital literacy and reproductive safety education through interactive and youth-friendly modules, expanding these programs to suburban and rural areas.
Suraya urged society to play an active role in creating a protective ecosystem for the younger generation. She emphasized the role of parents as the first line of defense by fostering open relationships with their children and monitoring their digital activities. Schools should bolster reproductive and social health education, while NGOs like Anak Kami provide psychosocial assistance and support government policies.
She called for comprehensive sex education or reproductive health education in schools, suggesting its introduction at the upper primary level and optimizing the role of counseling teachers in detecting early behavioral changes in students. Suraya proposed reintroducing and strengthening the moral education syllabus, incorporating modules to prevent sexual grooming.
Finally, Suraya advocated for the establishment of a comprehensive early warning and direct reporting system linking the Social Welfare Department, the Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) of the Royal Malaysia Police, and relevant NGOs to provide immediate protection to victims.