In Malaysia, where discussions about reproductive health often remain taboo, young women are being left in the dark, unable to access the safe and non-judgmental spaces they desperately need.
According to Fara Rom, President of the Reproductive Rights Alliance Malaysia (RRAM), the silence surrounding these issues is doing more harm than good.
Speaking at a World Contraceptive Day event, Fara addressed a growing concern: many young women are too afraid of stigma to seek help, even in critical situations such as unintended pregnancies or questions about contraception.
She believes that addressing these issues is crucial to empowering women and ensuring they have access to accurate information.
"A lot of young women require safe and brave spaces for them to not just share their stories and experiences. If we don't listen to the young people and understand what they are facing, we won't be addressing the real issues," said Fara.
She also revealed that RRAM runs a hotline, which has become known for providing information about abortion services. However, Fara emphasised that it offers more than just that—it also provides guidance on unintended pregnancies and contraception.
"Our data shows that 20 to 30 per cent of our hotline callers discuss contraception privately, even though our primary service is to offer information on abortion. This highlights a critical gap in accessible, unbiased reproductive health services for young people," she added.
According to Fara, many young people are hesitant to seek help in clinics due to the judgment they fear they will encounter, particularly from public healthcare providers.
"You can't expect young people to just go straight to a clinic. There's a lack of empowerment for vulnerable groups, including young women, to get the information they need.
"Some of the women who text our hotline don't even ask questions themselves—they have their partners ask us. Why is that? Because they’re afraid of the stigma," she explained.
This stigma is not limited to public healthcare. Fara noted that young women, especially Malay Muslims, often face a stack of social and cultural barriers in accessing reproductive health services in both public and private clinics.
"I've heard stories from my friends who went to government clinics seeking contraception, only to be lectured instead of receiving help. In some clinics, women are asked, ‘What are you doing here?’—especially if they’re unmarried," she said.
Fara said taboos surrounding reproductive health are prevalent across different communities in Malaysia, and each faces unique barriers.
"For the Chinese community, the challenges may differ, but at the root, it's still the taboo surrounding reproductive health that prevents young people from accessing the necessary information," she added.
Fara pointed out that misinformation and lack of transparent conversations about reproductive health are compounding the issue, especially with the shift toward digital platforms.
"We are shifting towards digital awareness-raising, but there’s a lot of misinformation out there. As a small organisation, we don’t have the capacity to address all these myths. For example, the misinformation about Monkey pox being a 'gay disease'—this is basic information that the Health Ministry should be tackling," she stated.
The reluctance to openly discuss reproductive health, Fara argues, has created an environment where young people turn to friends for advice instead of healthcare professionals.
"We have to be honest with ourselves because many people ask their friends for recommendations rather than professionals. The first source of information shouldn’t be friends but trained providers," she said.
To counteract this trend, Fara stressed the need for non-judgmental and unbiased information to be available to all young people, regardless of their beliefs or circumstances.
"It's not about promoting sexual activity outside of marriage. Our objective is clear: if we shy away from this conversation and don’t empower young people, they will continue to believe that accessing information means condoning certain behaviors," she explained.
Fara called for greater collaboration between non-governmental organisations like RRAM and the Health Ministry.
"We, as an organisation, are only filling in the gaps where support is lacking, but there’s a bigger effort needed to ensure young people have access to accurate information.
"The Health Ministry has the authority to address these issues on a larger scale, and it’s time for them to take charge," she said.