Women above 40 still have high chances of getting pregnant

It's often perceived that women above 40 have lower chances of getting pregnant, but according to an expert, that's not the case.

Medical Officer in Human Reproduction Division LPPKN Dr Wan Hilya Munira Mustapha said that because women in their 40s often think that they are no longer fertile, they take family planning for granted.

"Mostly because the sexual intercourse between the husband and wife are less at that age, also women are in the process of menopause," she said.

"Family planning is crucial as it helps the women and family alot, moreover in the economic crisis we are facing right now," she reasoned.

Dr Wan shared this in an exclusive #TakeControl forum for women to take control of family planning, sexual and reproductive health in conjunction with World Contraceptive Day recently.

Meanwhile, Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) Consultant Datuk Dr Harlina Halizah Siraj stressed the importance for couples to know how many children they intend to have when starting a family.

"But here in Malaysia, couples are in the concept of 'Children are sustenance from God where people should not refuse, the more kids the more luck' and gives birth to another baby within two years.

"Condom are stigma where people refused to use it after marriage whereas it is the cheapest and easiet to get in the market," she said.

Commenting further, Harlina added that family planning and taking birth control pill are not a form of abortion.

"Most religions do not encourage family planning or birth control because in some way it might decrease the iman.

"It actually depends on our will in handling the family, some can handle more than five kids and some can't.

"The prevention in family planning and birth control is to stop fertilization and it is way more better than abortion," she said.

Even Intrauterine Contraceptive Device (IUCD) which is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy are also not an abortion.

In fact, IUCDs are one form of long-acting reversible birth control and the doctor can remove it any time you choose.

Talking on awaress, Actress Umi Nazeera and Caring Pharmacy Pharmacist Fatin Zafira agreed that sex education should be prime discussion among schools.

Since Fatin is a pharmacist at a pharmacy situated nearby a university, she claimed that almost everyday teen students would come over to get emergency contraceptive pill.

Eventhough such behaviour is not encouraged in the religion context, Fatin is forced to sell in order to prevent the consequences of allegedly throwing babies.

"In order to curb this situation, sex education among students are crucial as students need to know what leads to pregnancy.

"We want to break the stigma on sex education, we are in the era of 20s yet sex is a taboo subject," she said.

Meantime, Umi Nazeera also said that as a mother of two, she will implant the sex edution among her kids.

Eurodrug Laboratories Malaysia conducted Take Control Forum 2022 at Hotel Concorde, Kuala Lumpur,

This forum is focused in creating awareness on women's sexual and reproductive care in Malaysia.

In 2019, Eurodrug Laboratories Malaysia launched a Take Control Guidebook to explain contraceptive methods and sexual knowledge and reproductive health for pharmacists at Caring Pharmacy to refer to.

This book was produced to make it easier for pharmacists to give advice on contraceptives to women out there.

Based on the findings, Eurodrug found that 47.8 per cent of women in Malaysia do not practice family planning methods

The statistics are based on a survey conducted involving local women in 2014. The survey found that many women want to plan a family, but that desire is often plagued by myths, especially regarding family planning methods, which are modern contraceptives.

To break the stereotype, Eurodrug has taken this opportunity to empower women out there to plan a family with modern contraceptives methods and encourage them to be more concerned to reproductive and sexual health care.