Page 33 - PULSE@UM

read tip
READ TIP

RESEARCH ON RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS AFFECTING ADOLESCENTS’
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN SABAH AND SARAWAK

AUTHORS: LOW WAH YUN, HALIMAH
AWANG, CHEAH WHYE LIAN, CHANG CHING
THON, HELEN BENEDICT LASIMBANG,
CHUA TOCK HINWG, LEE WAI KHEW, DEV
NATH KAUSHAL, TONG WEN TING
PUBLISHER: The National Population and
Family Development Board (NPFDB)
ISBN: 978-983-3624-34-8

@National Population and Family Development
Board, 2016
Although there has been limited data on teen-
age pregnancy in Malaysia, the increasing
reports on incidences of abandoned babies
indicate that increased premarital sexual in-
tercourse resulted in unwanted pregnancies
among unmarried adolescents. This consul-
tancy report commissioned by the National
Population and Family Development Board, un- Sabah and Sarawak.
der the Ministry of Women, Family and Com-
munity Development Malaysia, deals with the Overall, the protective factor against premarital
risk and protective factors affecting adoles- sex for school adolescents is strong religious
cents’ sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in beliefs, while for the college/university stu-
East Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak) for effec- dents, the protective factors are having good
tive policy and programme advocacy. knowledge and positive attitudes toward sexu-
al and reproductive health. Whereas for out-of-
Different cultures in the East Malaysian region school adolescents, the protective factors are
may influence the risk and protective factor having high self-evaluation and involvement in
affecting young Malaysian SRH there. Infor- community activities. The findings will provide
mation for this study was obtained from ado- policy makers and state implementers with a
lescents aged 13 to 24 years which included clear picture of the adolescent SRH situation
school students, college/university students in East Malaysia to help better address specif-
and out-of-school adolescents. Information ic SRH issues in the states. The information
gathered include knowledge, attitudes and gathered is crucial for public awareness on the
practices related to sexual and reproductive adolescent SRH situation that needs attention
health as well as risk and protective factors and appropriate interventions to ensure the ho-
against premarital sex among adolescents in listic development of adolescents and youth.

33