A PIONEERING project has started in Sarawak in an attempt to tackle the increasing trend of teens and youths getting involved in sex, and ending up with pre-marriage pregnancies.
The Sarawak Family Planning Association under the State Health Department has embarked on the ‘Sexuality Education Camp’ for the public.
They are targeting teenagers aged 18 and 19 years, and youths between 20 and 24 years.
About 30 youngsters responded to the organising of the first camp in Lundu district yesterday.
Association chairperson Annie Tan said the project is a crucial step towards educating the very young on sexual responsibilities.
"This is a very important step forward in instilling correct knowledge among our young on the crucial issues of sexuality, teenage pregnancies, family values and responsibilities.
"Through such camps aimed at members of the public we hope to spread the message across to a wide segment of society.
"These issues on sexuality among the young are crucial issues that we as a community must be concerned about," she said.
The association usually deals with family planning for married couples.
Problems related to sexuality among teens and very young ones have become a hot topic of concern in Sarawak of late.
On January 16, a survey conducted by University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) among teenagers and youths pointed to easy accessibility to pornographic videos as being among key factors fuelling their sex drive; and subsequently causing a surge in teenage pregnancies in the state.
Getting hooked to the intimate depictions in scenes is among the top reasons that more teenage girls are getting pregnant even in early teen years, said state Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, in discussing the findings of the survey.
Other key factors are dropping out from schooling while in early teen years, volatile family relationships, personal problems, substance abuse and sexual grooming by others, as well as peer pressure to try out sex.
The survey by Unimas showed that 58.7 percent of pregnant teenage girls had dropped out of schools, became involved in sexual relationships and then gotten pregnant.
Some 60.1 percent got pregnant before the legal age of marriage at 18.
Fatimah said that Iban girls comprised the largest number of teen pregnancies, followed by Malays, Bidayuhs and Chinese.
The state Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is working on a module with the Education Department to conduct a series of programmes in primary and secondary schools throughout the state, focussing on personal sexuality, healthy physical and mental developments, and related topics.
On December 12, The Vibes had reported concerns about youngsters having unrestrained accessibility to mobile devices that can link to movies and photos on cyberspace depicting romance-sex scenes, influencing them to become sexually active even at early adolescent years.
The portal spoke to several parents and teachers who identified mobile devices, especially handphones and laptop computers, which can be easily linked to the Internet via wireless connections, as being among the main factors causing the young to be more sexually active.
It was reported on December 8 that a survey among teenagers coordinated by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development at the national level had found that up to 88 percent of teens aged between 13 to 18 were sexually active.
The findings also pointed to the highest teen pregnancies being at Kelantan, Sarawak and Penang, it was reported.
Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri had expressed concern at the findings which also noted that many teens are unaware of subjects on contraceptives, sexually transmitted diseases, and risks to physical and mental health due to pregnancies among the young.
She said the community and schools must respond with more educational awareness campaigns to inform teens about the risks.
She also called on women's groups and religious bodies to work with her ministry to reach out to teens. – The Vibes, January 25, 2024
