KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) held the Advocacy Forum on Reproductive and Social Health Education (PEKERTI) for Parents in Sabah to address the issue of social problems among teenagers.
The forum, held in Penampang last Sunday, aimed to provide parents with exposure and knowledge to help strengthen teenagers’ self-identity in preserving their dignity and that of the nation.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said such topics should not be regarded as taboo or sensitive, as concerns that reproductive and social health information might arouse curiosity among teens should not hinder the provision of education.
“Currently, the issue of indiscriminate social interaction among teenagers is one that must be addressed. One of the contributing factors is the lack of religious education and insufficient reproductive and social health information being instilled from home,” she said.
Her speech was delivered by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general (operations), Farah Adura Hamidi, at the official launch of the PEKERTI Forum.
According to Nancy, the issue of out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancies is also of growing concern, with Health Ministry (MOH) statistics recording 17,646 cases between 2019 and 2023 out of a total of 44,263 pregnancies involving teenagers during the same period.
“Data also shows that 1,816 out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancies were recorded in Sabah from 2019 to 2023,” she said.
Nancy said in response, KPWKM through the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) had developed several modules to disseminate information to target groups, including the ACE Module – Accurate, Comprehensive and Effective – which considers current sexual issues at global and national levels, including legislation related to sexual violence and trafficking.
In addition, she said, a special Reproductive and Social Health Education Module was also developed for boys aged 16 and above to promote greater responsibility among older teens and young men.
“LPPKN has also introduced the ‘Cakna Diri’ Module – Parent Edition, so that parents play a role in delivering reproductive and sexuality education.
“This module serves as a guide and improves parents’ knowledge of adolescent reproductive health, as well as understanding the physiological and psychosocial development of teenagers,” she added.
-- BERNAMA
