Malaysian Teenagers in the Dark about Contraception

In Muslim majority Malaysia you can’t buy the popular book ‘Where Did I Come From?” – a children’s sex education book that has been published international for 40 years.

The government banned it last year saying it has elements that undermine social morals.

Sex is still considered a taboo topic and the sex education in schools is very basic.

And sex education that teenagers receive in Malaysia doesn’t include any information about contraception.

Nur Khaleida Azreen is a 22-year-old nursing student. “How do I say this....” – that was her response when asked about what she knows about contraception.

Other female students in their 20s also have little to say about contraception.

Puteri Nur Asikin only says that “It prevents from getting pregnant,” but quickly adds,”Stay away from men!”

While Nur Katijah firmly says,”Don’t engage in sexual activities.”

Since last year, local groups have been calling for sex education for youg children in school.

Saira Shameem from the UN Population Fund in Malaysia says that it’s important to give the right information to the right group.

“Even 7 years old need to know how to protect themselves from sexual predators and sexual advances of people in society that may be older than them. Even 7 years old need to have a certain level of knowledge they currently have no access to and I believe that they government is been doing much to expand it but it just needs to go faster.”

But the Malaysian government says sex education will encourage young people to have sex.

General Manager of the Family Planning and Reproductive Health Board Encik Mizal is concerned about this. “For teenagers, we don’t actually encourage it. We don’t really highlight sex education."

Last year, the Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi said that elements of sex education in schools are included in social and reproductive health studies.

Insted of correct information about sex, a study by UN Population Fund finds that many Malaysians believe myths about how to prevent unwanted pregnancies. “When you don’t know exactly what happens, the knowledge gap is filled by the myths,” Saira says.

“If you don’t give sex education, there is going to be all these drink carrot juice, drink pineapple juice business.”

And even if you know about contraception…getting access to it is a challenge. With pre-marital pregnancies on the rise among teenagers, Malaysia will need to take serious steps in incorporating sex-education into its school syllabus.