Schools to teach teen pregnancy prevention from September

Schools to teach teen pregnancy prevention from September
Source: The Malay Mail Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 — Students at selected schools nationwide will begin learning about sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), statutory rape and the perils of premarital sex from this year onward as part of a national campaign to reduce teen pregnancies.

The National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) told the New Straits Times (NST) that the alarming number of underage pregnancies — 1,048 teen cases between January and March last year — had served as a “wake-up call”, prompting the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to address the issue.

LPPKN Human Reproductive Division’s Sexuality Unit director Dr Hamizah Mohd Hassan said “Modul Pekerti” will be taught to a selected batch of Form Three and Year Six students from September.

“This will be finalised with the Education Ministry,” she was quoted as saying in the English daily.
Dr Hamizah added that due to budgetary constraints, the module will only be taught to three selected schools from each state — one primary, one secondary and one special needs school.

In total, an estimated 8,000 students from 47 schools will benefit from the module, she added. The Year Six students will learn basic information on puberty and their body parts under the Reproductive Health of Adolescents Module (RHAM).

“This module will stress on the importance of respecting their bodies as this can prevent them form engaging in activities that can damage their bodies such as having sex at a very young age.

“Boys will have to participate in the activities as well, because we want to educate them on the importance of respecting women and avoid engaging in premarital sex,” she was quoted as saying.

For the Form Three students, Dr Hamizah said “Modul Cakna Diri” would teach the 15-year-olds more comprehensive information about their rights and responsibilities, statutory rape, the effects of premarital sex and information on STDs.
She added that the module would also emphasise on other issues such as dating, masturbation, pornography, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender orientation.

“We seek to educate them on the dangers they face in their daily lives and how to avoid high risk situations, such as premarital sex.

“For example, students with partners are told that they are categorised in the ‘yellow level’ indicating they have to be careful as sex might occur next month, next week, or even tomorrow.

“The warning level would increase to ‘red’, indicating that sex might occur within hours, if the couple go out on a date in a secluded location, or are in a room together,” she said, adding that the module will share techniques on how to delay and avoid sexual activity.

Dr Hamizah said the module would also educate young adults on how to say no to their partner’s call to have sex, yet maintain a relationship.

She said young adults have a tendency to give in to their partner’s request for sex quickly, out of fear of losing the relationship.

“We need to educate them from an early age that sex is not an expression of love,” she said.

LPPKN will train 94 teachers and counsellors from the selected schools in May.

Sex education has long been a taboo subject here in Malaysia where even being in a close proximity with a Muslim of the opposite sex, and who is not a spouse or a family member, is considered an offence.

The rising number of teen pregnancies as well as baby-dumping cases in recent years had led to various effort to address the issue, including setting up baby hatches, a safe place for mothers to leave unwanted babies, as well as a school for pregnant teens in Malacca.

Module in schools soon to curb teen pregnancies
Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/module-in-schools-soon-to-curb-teen-pregnancies-1.461827

WAKE-UP CALL: Plan likely to be introduced after year-end exams for Form 3 students

KUALA LUMPUR: THE alarming rate of  teen pregnancies has prompted the introduction of a teen pregnancy prevention module, set to be introduced in 47 schools nationwide this year.

National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) Human Reproduction Division's Sexuality Unit director Dr Hamizah Mohd Hassan said the problem served as a "wake up call" for the Women, Community and Family Development Ministry to develop the initiative to address the issue.

The module, introduced in collaboration with the Education Ministry, would be part of the school curriculum assistant programme and will be implemented in September this year.

"Known as 'Modul Pekerti', it will begin after the year-end examination for Form Three students. This will be finalised with the Education Ministry," she said.

The module will benefit 8,000 students selected from 47 schools nationwide.

The New Straits Times yesterday highlighted that the problem of teenagers becoming pregnant out of wedlock had reached worrying levels, with the nation recording a total of 1,048 such cases from January to March last year. This translates into an average of 12 teen pregnancies a day and if left unchecked the country could record its highest number of teen pregnancies in four years.

"Due to budgetary constraints, we can only select three schools from each state; one primary, one secondary and one special needs school."

Two different modules will be used. For Year Six pupils, the Reproductive Health of Adolescents Module (RHAM) will be employed while Form Three students will use the "Modul Cakna Diri" designed by LPPKN.

RHAM, designed by the Federation of Reproductive Health Associations Malaysia would provide primary pupils with basic information on puberty and their body parts.

"This module will stress on the importance of respecting their bodies as this can prevent them from engaging in activities that can damage their bodies such as having sex at a very young age."

Instead of just focusing on girls, Dr Hamizah said the module would also include information on adolescent boys' reproductive health.

"Boys will have to participate in the activities as well, because we want to educate them on the importance of respecting women and avoid engaging in premarital sex."

Meanwhile the module for Form Three students will be more comprehensive, covering the individual's right and responsibility, statutory rape, the effects of premarital sex and information on sexually-transmitted diseases.

The module will also emphasise on issues close to the youth such as dating, masturbation, pornography, as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender orientation.

"We seek to educate them on the dangers they face in their daily lives and how to avoid high-risk situations, such as premarital sex.

"For example, students with partners will be told that they are categorised in the 'yellow level', indicating they have to be careful as sex might occur next month, next week or even tomorrow.

"The warning level would increase to 'red', indicating that sex might occur within hours, if the couple go out on a date in a secluded location, or are in a room together," she said, adding that the module will share techniques on how to delay and avoid sexual activities.

The module, said Dr Hamizah, would educate young adults on how to say "no" to their partner's call to have sex, yet maintain a relationship.

"Young adults have a tendency to give in to their partners' request for sex fearing that they can lose their partners otherwise.

"We need to educate them from an early age that sex is not an expression of love."

In order to keep the students engaged, the module will be an activity-based programme. She said LPPKN would train 94 teachers and counsellors from the selected schools in May.

She said a pilot programme, held from Sept 18 to Nov 6 in 2012 involved 2,376 students, yielded positive results and showed increased knowledge among students towards reproductive health.

Education Ministry Health Education unit head Tan Huey Ning said the module would complement social and reproductive health education.