She said methods practised in the West, such as the use of contraceptives, were not appropriate in the context of Malay Muslim teenagers - so nikahlah

Call for clear policies on teen sex
2010/12/17

Share |



KUALA LUMPUR: Enforcement and clearer policies are needed to curb sexual misconduct and illicit sex among teenagers.

National Population and Family Development Board Human Reproduction Division Sexuality Unit chief Dr Hamizah Mohd Hassan said: "We have several policies but they are vague and do not focus on sexual misconduct or illicit sex."

She was speaking after a discussion on tackling the problems of sex out of wedlock and baby dumping among teenagers and students here yesterday.


Hamizah said existing policies leaned towards social and reproductive health education but gave little attention to illicit sex and sexual misconduct.

"Some teenagers become sex workers and guest relations officers because they get a lucrative income."

She said shelter homes would provide a second chance for teenagers to make up for past mistakes.


Former Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences lecturer Dr Fatimah Abdullah said a holistic approach for families, teenagers and the community was needed because of the lack of policies and integrated programmes for unwed pregnant teens.

"We do not have complete data on them, especially their socio-economic background, social interactions, heterosexual relationships and sexual experiences before marriage."

She said this in her working paper titled "Social analysis on illicit sex cases based on data from studies on pregnancies out of wedlock".


She said methods practised in the West, such as the use of contraceptives, were not appropriate in the context of Malay Muslim teenagers.

"The rise in teenage pregnancies is a manifestation of bigger issues in the family and community."

Women and Teenagers' Care Centre (Kewaja) Human Capital camp director and founder Yahya Mohamed Yusof said they received 260 unwed pregnant teens this year, an increase from 240 last year.

"Since Kewaja was established in 1988, we have taken in more than 2,500 unwed pregnant teens, and this is why we need to look into the issue more seriously."

He said the cooperation of all quarters, especially families, the community and non-governmental organisations, was vital in overcoming prejudices and tackling the problem of unwed teenage pregnancies. -- Bernama


Read more: Call for clear policies on teen sex http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10vag/Article#ixzz18KOK5UvY