PETALING JAYA: A 21-year-old woman, pregnant with a child conceived from a doomed relationship, came alone to the Orphancare Foundation.
Seeking shelter and help, Nina (not her real name) was guided through her monthly check-ups until she gave birth to her daughter.
Eventually, she chose a couple from OrphanCare’s list to adopt the girl so that the infant will have a better future.
Nina is one of the many young women and girls who end up with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. But while Nina approached OrphanCare, many others did not know where to turn.The case of Malaysian student Teo Jia Xin, who was convicted of murdering her newborn baby in the United Kingdom last month, is a heartbreaking example of the dilemma faced by women in such situations.
Teo, 22, hid her pregnancy from her family and even boyfriend due to fear of disapproval or rejection. Early this year, she arrived in Britain for further studies while pregnant.
She eventually gave birth in private and placed the infant in a cereal box and then kept it inside a suitcase.
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Her case illustrated how cultural suppression has led to many women with unplanned pregnancies doing the unthinkable to hide their situation.
“The stigma of having babies out of wedlock is the main reason why babies are being abandoned, while a lack of education about sex is the primary cause of the rise in unwanted pregnancies, especially among young women,” said Riza Alwi, the foundation’s advocacy and communications manager.
Most of the females in such a quandary are university students and the unemployed, she said, noting that there were also teenagers as well as professionals.
“Many unmarried pregnant girls feel they have nowhere to turn to. They are often desperate and helpless. They lack support. They carry the burden of guilt and shame. This may lead them to decide to abandon their newborns,” she said.
OrphanCare has recorded a rise in babies saved at their organisation, with 78 babies this year.
A survey by the Health Ministry in 2022 on adolescent health showed that the prevalence of young people ever having sex or having had sex in the past 30 days was 7.6%, with the highest recorded in Kelantan (9.5%) and the lowest in Selangor at 5.6%.
Male adolescents showed significantly higher prevalence at 9.2% compared to females at 6%. Of those who had sex, 32.8% did so before 14.
The report noted that 10.7% of those who ever had sex had at least two sexual partners, and only 11.8% of them used condoms during their last sexual intercourse, while 11.9% used other birth control methods.
Riza said the knowledge on the implication of having sex is inadequate, with much misinformation spread about pregnancy.
“Women know they can get pregnant when they have sex, but many are misinformed or in denial, thinking if it is only a one-time thing, it will not happen, or they can have sex after their period. Or, if they ‘pull out’, then it is safe,” she said.
She said Malaysia has a conservative approach to sexual relations, so it is a challenge to spread awareness on the topic, adding that only teaching abstinence could further worsen the stigma.
“Sexual repression would also cause youths to act out when given the freedom,” she said.
She said that reproductive and sexual health education must emphasise relationships, responsibilities and precautions, and it should be taught to both males and females.
“Sexual health education must start early from primary school so that young people understand safe touches and sexual harassment because sexual grooming starts very early.
“Women have to be aware of who they are sleeping with, whether these people can be trusted, and why the men they are seeing want to sleep with them,” she said.
She said advocacy and awareness-raising are major activities done by OrphanCare, including Reproductive and Sexual Health Talk for university students as a preventive approach to baby abandonment and institutionalisation of children.
OrphanCare trustee Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman said the reproductive and sexual health talk organised by the non-profit foundation would teach students the practical skills they need on relationships and sexuality to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
She said youths engaging in sexual relations should have informed decisions.
“Women don’t go on a date and plan to get pregnant. It is often unplanned, and they do not know how to say no. In the module that we use, we teach them the skills; we call it the traffic light.
“When you are on a safe date with many other people nearby, it is green. When one of the friends is bringing you to a dark or isolated place, then it’s amber.
“But when you’re in a bad and uncontrollable situation, it’s red, and we teach what you need to do,” she said.
