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PETALING JAYA: Although there is no law to stop pregnant teenagers from going to school, the girls’ parents will usually not let them attend classes.

“They want their daughter to be out of the school because they fear their children will face stigmatisation,” said Malaysian Child Resource Institute governor Aisha Z. Abdullah.

Aisha said schools with teenage pregnancy cases might want them out because if they did not leave, the schools would be compelled to make police reports if there were criminal offences in-volved.

She said schools were also concerned that the cases might tarnish their image or influence other students to do likewise.

Aisha said that in the United States, pregnant students were allowed to continue attending classes because their plight would act as a deterrent to the other students.

“After they return from giving birth, the student will then share their struggles and discourage others from following in their footsteps,” she said.

by Loh Foon Fong.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/23/nation/12070302&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: The education system must ensure that sex education is provided to young children in schools, said two concerned groups.

The two are the Malaysian Paediatric Association and the College of Paediatrics, Academy of Medicine Malaysia.

“There is an urgent need to educate children on their right to say no’ to requests for sex, to respect their bodies and the importance of abstinence and the consequences of having unprotected sex and sex at an early age,” said the two groups in a joint statement.

Association president Dr Noor Khatijah Nurani and college president Prof Dr Thong Meow Keong also called upon parents, the education system, society, media as well as the government and policymakers to play their part.

The medical practitioners urged for a society where “neighbours keep watch over each other’s children”.

Concern about the rights of children being infringed was expressed after electrician Chuah Guan Jiu, 22, and bowler Noor Afizal Azizan, 21, were released on good behaviour bonds after being convicted of statutory rape of their girlfriends, aged 12 and 13 respectively.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/nation/12067892&sec=nation

MALACCA: Sekolah Harapan, a home and school for unwed pregnant girls here, has registered 132 births since its inception in September 2010.

In this year alone, 50 teenagers gave birth to babies at the home in Jasin.

Sekolah Harapan chairman Datuk Abdul Rahaman Abdul Karim said few of the young mothers suffered post-natal complications.

He said the home was currently providing shelter to 23 pregnant teenagers 11 from Malacca, four from Johor, two each from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and one each from Sarawak, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Perlis.

“All are students and they are expected to give birth between the end of this month and June next year.

“One of the pregnant girls is to sit for her SPM examination at the home next month,” he said yesterday.

Abdul Rahaman said in 2010, six pregnant teenagers sat for SPM at the home while seven did so last year. One scored 3As.

He said currently, nine babies five boys and four girls were being cared for by their teenage mums at the home.

He said many people had expressed interest in adopting the babies but it was up to the mothers and their families to decide on the matter.

“We are proud that the home has saved 132 babies born out of wedlock from being abandoned or from an even worse fate.

by R. S. N. Murali.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/nation/12065982&sec=nation

KLANG: Data on pregnancies among unmarried teenage girls is lacking as only those who seek antenatal care in hospitals are known.

But there are various small-scale studies to indicate that teenagers today are sexually active.

According to senior principal assistant director of the Ministry of Health’s Family Health Development Division Dr Nik Rubiah Nik Abdul Rashid, 6.5% of teenagers were sexually active in 2010 compared with 2.2% in 2004.

She said a 2008 survey among teenagers seeking counselling revealed that all but one of them had had sex.

Nationwide, 18,652 girls below 19 years of age gave birth last year 14,430 were married, and 4,222 unwed.

“Adolescents’ knowledge on reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases are generally low, at between 47% and 59%,” said Dr Nik Rubiah at a seminar on teenage pregnancies organised by the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital here.

Senior consultant and head of the hospital’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department Dr Haji Mohamad Farouk Abdullah said young women (and men) needed the skills to abstain from sex until after marriage.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/nation/12066421&sec=nation

With teenagers becoming more sexually active, doctors are sounding the alarm over the rising number of pregnancies. Experts are urging concrete measures, including proper sex education and a wide range of sexual reproductive health services for teenagers.

KLANG: More Malaysian teenage girls are getting pregnant, with a major hospital recording at least one case every day.

According to Dr Mohamad Farouk Abdullah, senior consultant and head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital here, about 14% of the 12,000 babies delivered annually at the hospital were by teenage mothers with many of them unwed.

“We thought such numbers of teen pregnancies were only in Klang, but I am also hearing of similar scenarios in the other six specialist hospitals in Selangor,” he added.

“The youngest girl to give birth at our hospital was a 12-year-old girl,” Dr Mohamad Farouk said at the “Pregnant by Choice, Not by Chance or Force” seminar. It was organised by the hospital in conjunction with its Family Planning month.

The Health Ministry recorded 18,652 births by girls below the age of 19 last year compared with 5,962 in the second half of 2010.

Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital’s medical social welfare officer Nurul Azira Mahamad Jafar said she had been handling at least one case of an unwed mother every working day of this year.

“The highest number of referrals I have had in a day so far was 14. These are our children who are pregnant in their teens,” said Nurul Azira, who has been handling cases of unwed mothers as well as rape and sex abuse victims at the hospital for the past six years.

Most of the pregnant girls are referred to the hospital by clinics.

This is because teenage pregnancies are considered “high-risk cases”. A teenager is twice more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth complications than women in their 20s.

Most of the girls come to the hospital complaining of discomfort such as stomachache and spotting.

As part of the hospital’s protocol, the doctors screen them for pregnancy and once confirmed, they would be admitted and the family notified.

It is also part of the hospital’s policy to provide antenatal care and treatment to them, regardless of their marital status.

Nurul Azira said pregnant teenage girls under 18 and their babies were protected under the Child Act 2001 and would be referred to the Social Welfare Department.

by Ivy Soon.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/22/nation/12064751&sec=nation

A teenage girl holds a pregnancy test

Pregnancy rates among U.S. teenagers, which had been dropping since 1990, took an upturn in 2006, according to newly released data. The figures, obtained from government sources and abortion providers by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health think tank, echo previous Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that births among teens had risen. But the new Guttmacher report rounds out the picture: in 2006, there were 71.5 pregnancies for every 1,000 women under the age of 20. That’s 3% more than in 2005. The increase was concentrated among 18- and 19-year-olds — pregnancies among those 17 or younger rose only marginally — and occurred in a year when the number of abortions among teens rose 1%. (Read “Teen Pregnancy: An Epidemic in Foster Care.”)

These upticks will no doubt be scrutinized by the schools, churches and governments that had been achieving some success in lowering the teen pregnancy rate. After rising steadily with the sexual revolution of the ’70s and ’80s, the rate dropped sharply in the ’90s — and then more slowly from 2000 until 2005 — before turning upward. But even in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available, the rate was 39% lower than 1990’s peak of 117 pregnancies for every 1,000 teen girls. (See pictures of a diverse group of American teens.)

While the recent increase has been more marked in minority women, the rate of pregnancy over the long term has dropped more rapidly among black teens. In 2005, both black and non-white Hispanic teens had a pregnancy rate of just over 12%, down from 22% and 16%, respectively. (White teens have a pregnancy rate of about 4.4%, down from 8.7%.)

When it comes to abortion, the trend line has been heading downward among whites and Hispanic teens. In 1990, 43.9% of pregnant white teens terminated their pregnancies, according to the Guttmacher report. In 2006, 29.3% did. Among Hispanics, the rate dropped from 28.1% to 22.9% in the same period. But among black teens, the rate has not moved much in 15 years — holding steady at about 41%. (Read “How to Bring an End to the War Over Sex Ed.”)

One of the innovations of the Guttmacher report is a state-by-state breakdown of pregnancy figures over the 17 years between 1988 and 2005. California, Hawaii and New Hampshire have been most successful in driving down their teen pregnancy rates, by 54%, 49% and 47%, respectively. But even at the other end of the scale, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota and Wyoming have all managed to lower their teen pregnancy rates by 25%.

by Belinda Luscombe.

Read more @ http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1956645,00.html

In suggesting measures to control baby dumping, we are only dealing with the outcomes of certain prohibited acts, not the very wrong acts themselves.

THE recent surge of baby dumping cases is obviously a grave reflection of an acute social crisis besetting our community. Statistics on the reported cases are terrifying.

How about cases that go unreported?

I would say that what we are facing now is just the tip of the iceberg. The actual number of cases is far greater.

The following is one indication of the worrying situation.

A few months ago, my colleague received a call from a nurse of a private clinic in the Klang Valley.

She related that throughout her 17 years of service, she had been dealing with five to six abortion cases daily.

Some teenage girls came in their school uniform.

Some others were even accompanied by their parent(s). And the nurse told us of a girl who came in for her fourth abortion.

Based on the above, let’s do some simple calculation: 17 years x 365 days x five cases (daily average) is a staggering 31,025 cases.

Imagine if 5% of the girls proceed with their pregnancies and later on give birth but decide to abandon their babies – dead or alive – we will have an average of 91 abandonment cases a year in just one corner of the nation.

Many factors have been associated with this dreadful phenomenon: broken family life, broken promises, fear of illegitimacy and its consequences of shattered integrity or dignity (shame, embarrassment, isolation, rejection), childhood disability, gender preference and poverty.

I would say that the increasing cases of baby dumping is a sign of a flourishing hedonistic culture, the diminishing role of religion and the decreasing influence of a positive value system.

The young generation is becoming more and more secular.

The root cause, I believe, is ignorance due to lack of education, formal or informal, religious or otherwise.

We may blame those unwed couples who indulge in sex as a means to be rid of their problems or out of curiosity.

We may perhaps excuse genuine rape victims.

However, if these victims somehow also abandon their babies, then their acts are initially equally blameworthy, with certain reservations depending on certain circumstances.

A number of suggestions have been put forward by many quarters to curb the problem: criminalise abandonment, charge the parent(s) with murder, provide baby hatches, set up special schools or shelters for pregnant teenagers.

Society is divided on these suggestions.

Some agree and some do not.

Many raise the issue of practicality or propriety.

Some purportedly question, for example, the appropriateness of certain proposals, such as providing baby hatches or shelter for unwed young mothers.

Of course the authorities, or any given community concerned about their future, must not let the situation deteriorate any further.

The former, for instance, may apply the Islamic concept of siyasah syar’iyyah (syariah-oriented policy) and/or maslahah (public interest) to protect the greater interest of their subjects.

I am basically in favour of setting up baby hatches or shelters for unwed couples.

These measures are by no means to be construed as tolerating or condoning offences proscribed by religion, let alone encouraging or giving more space for others to commit similar sinful or heinous acts.

They are to be considered as means to properly educate both the “unwanted” babies (as they grow up) and their parent(s) by inculcating and instilling religious teachings or ethical principles to guide their daily life.

Offering support and protection in this manner will tremendously help the individuals to learn from their mistakes, to repent, and to be spiritually, psychologically and emotionally stable, and regain their strength in facing the future, especially for those who have been rejected by their parents, family members and society.

To me, such measures are perhaps analogous to the action introduced by the second caliph of Islam, Umar al-Khattab, in establishing prisons to detain criminals.

It is definitely weird for anyone to say that he was trying to encourage other people to break laws, especially the divine ones.

We seem not to realise that in suggesting measures to control baby dumping, we are actually dealing only with the outcomes of certain prohibited acts, not the very wrong acts themselves.

by Wan Azhar Wan Ahmad.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/21/focus/7068951&sec=focus

JASIN: Three days after the country’s first school for pregnant teens officially opened its doors, five young mothers-to-be bravely stepped into Sekolah Harapan here yesterday to register for classes.

The girls, aged 16 to 17, and accompanied by their parents, met school officials for a briefing at Rumah Harapan, the dormitory adjacent to the school, at about 9.15am.

School chairman Datuk Ab Rahaman Ab Karim told reporters that the girls – from Malacca, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur – would begin lessons as soon as they became oriented with the school and dormitory conditions.

“They came here willingly and with the consent of their parents as they wish to continue their studies and sit for their examinations,” he said, adding that four of the girls would be preparing for the upcoming SPM examinations.

The other girl is a Fourth Former.

Ab Rahaman said the girls, all in the second trimester of their pregnancy, would be moving into the 15-bed dormitory within the next few days “after sorting out official matters”.

He said the security, welfare and privacy of the teens were the utmost concern of the school.

Ab Rahaman said of the five girls who enrolled, one was Chinese and the rest were Malays.

“Although the teens will have to follow regulations and visitor access is restricted, parents can officially request to take their daughters out to spend time with the family during weekends,” Ab Rahaman said.

by Martin Carval Ho.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/21/nation/7070215&sec=nation

MALACCA: The country’s first school for pregnant teens, Sekolah Harapan or School of Hope, is scheduled to open its doors in Jasin on Sept 16.

However, so far, there has been no confirmed enrolment, with the Malacca Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jaim) having received only three inquiries.

Jaim chief officer Rahimin Bani said the department received the calls on the state’s 06-233 3333 general hotline.

“One was a call from a woman in her 30s, another from a rape victim and the other was from Negri Sembilan,” he said yesterday.

He said the response might be slow at the moment due to lack of public awareness about the school’s establishment.

Changing lives: Ab Rahaman (centre) talking with officers during a visit to the school in Jasin on Monday.

“Although minor renovations are in progress and the staff have yet to be recruited, we are ready to receive students,” he added.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the initial Sept 1 deadline for the school to open had to be postponed to enable suitable teachers and staff to be recruited.

“We are keeping the school discreet and do not want any media hype,” he told reporters yesterday.

He said retired female teachers were welcomed to apply to teach at the school, which will take in pregnant girls as young as 13.

“The school will also accept teens who have given birth and want to continue their studies.

“The main aim of the school is to provide a second chance for wayward teens,” he added.

by Martin Carval Ho.

Read more @ http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/9/2/nation/6967031&sec=nation

Melaka, — A special school for students who become pregnant out of wedlock would open in Jasin soon, said Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam.

He said the school would be under the administration of the Melaka State Islamic Religious Department (Jaim) and would occupy a building previously occupied by the district kadhi for those who voluntary chose to enter the school.

Mohd Ali said parents needed to open up their minds a bit and change their way of thinking to suit current times because in the old days, couples married as young as 14 or 15 years old,” he said, explaining the rationale of setting up the school which some quarters find odd.

“For poor families who cannot effort to pay for their children’s marriage, the state government will assist by giving RM500 for the solemnisation of the marriage, witnesses and a small feast, while the dowry can even be paid later,” he said after officiating at a seminar on understanding Ramadan at the Al Azim Mosque, here Tuesday.

He said the state government’s approach in dealing with the issue of unwed young mothers was to save them, as those who got involved in prostitution and became pregnant would find it difficult to return to the right path without support from society.

“If they (pregnant students) get married, their families will not be angry with them anymore and their parents can support them. If their parents are unable to fend for their babies, the state government can assist.”

On cohabitation offence under syariah law, he said Melaka recorded 900 such cases and 391 out-of-wedlock births last year and another 174 between January and June this year.

BERNAMA.

Read more @ http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=518632