Girls demand programmes, policies to educate those with no knowledge on sexual and reproductive health

SHAH ALAM - Adolescent girls are calling for recommendations on programmes and policies aimed at benefiting those who lack knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (SRH).

To curb the issue, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) launched the ‘Understanding pathways to adolescent pregnancy in Southeast Asia - Findings in Malaysia’ report.

The report was a result of a study taken to understand this complex situation further and was part of a larger regional effort to identify the patterns that drive adolescent pregnancy across the region,as determined by relationship or marital status and the extent of the girls' bodily autonomy in decision-making.

In the report, the participants aged between 16 and 20 emphasised the importance of education about contraception, boundaries between men and women, abstinence, how pregnancy occurs, the fertile period and prevention of pregnancy.

They also expressed that they preferred learning about the matter from their partners, female family members, friends, school teachers or counselors, social media and other online platforms.

This indicated the need for a comprehensive approach to sexuality education that covered various socio-ecological levels.

According to the report, some of the participants suggested for the sale of contraceptives to be made online such as on the Shopee platform to reduce the embarrassment associated with purchasing contraceptives in person.

Besides easy access to contraceptives through online shops, in understanding SRH, they needed support and understanding from their partners as well as friendly healthcare staff.

The participants also stressed the importance of teaching girls how to say no if they were uncomfortable engaging in any sexual activity.

They also emphasised the need for girls to think carefully about their decisions and learn from others' experiences noting that girls should be able to discuss with their partner if they should or should not engage in sexual intercourse.

To achieve this, it would be helpful to guide them in making plans and considering the consequences of pregnancy.

In the study, the participants also emphasised the importance of providing guidance and support to girls who have experienced sexual violence.

This support should come from various sources, including the police, doctors, hospital staff, counselors and protection or shelter home workers.

Moral support from family members as well as religious and spiritual guidance were also crucial for girls in these situations.

The study also showed that in deciding to proceed with a pregnancy, participants felt that parenting classes needed to be provided besides financial and moral support from family members and friends.

Support from family members and their trusted circles was crucial so that girls were able to discuss and share their worries and concerns to keep them calm.

For cases where girls were forced to give up their babies for adoption, participants suggested maintaining contact between the girl and her baby when the babies were being adopted by another family.