Rise in teenage pregnancies, Sarawak and Sabah top the list

A TOTAL 2,752 cases of teenage pregnancies were recorded at government health facilities last year, an increase of 15 cases or 0.5 percent compared to 2023.

Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad, said Sarawak recorded the highest number of cases followed by Sabah and Pahang.

"For the period January to March 2025, 655 cases of teenage pregnancies under the age of 18 were recorded.

"Based on a study published in the Medical Journal of Malaysia in 2015, one of the main causes of teenage pregnancies in Malaysia is the lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health education which causes many teenagers to not understand how to protect themselves from unplanned pregnancies.

"This finding is also supported by the Study on Risk and Protective Factors of Adolescents towards Reproductive and Social Health published by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) in 2019," she told the Dewan Rakyat, yesterday.

Noraini was answering a question from Datuk Seri Doris Sophia anak Brodi (GPS-Sri Aman) regarding data on pregnancies among children under 18 years of age in each state and their causes.

Commenting further, Noraini said that another study published in the Malaysian Psychology Journal in 2020 also listed several other factors such as peer pressure and media influence, especially exposure to  sexual content.

"This can form norms and perceptions that encourage adolescents to try or experiment. From a socio-economic perspective, poverty, school dropouts and lack of job opportunities were also identified as factors that increase adolescents' vulnerability to this risk.

"In addition, family backgrounds and lifestyles can contribute to an increase in risky sexual behavior," she said.

To address the issue of teenage pregnancies, she said, the ministry called on various agencies to work collaboratively in strengthening and expanding holistic initiatives to achieve a positive impact on the well-being of adolescents in Malaysia.

"A study conducted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 2022 entitled SRH Investment for Human Capital in Malaysia stated that comprehensive Reproductive Health Education can reduce teenage pregnancies by 49 percent or approximately 1,800 live births within five years," she added. - August 14, 2025