The population density in Malaysia is 98 people per km2 with a population size that rank 45th in the world. Interestingly, Malaysia is located in one the most populated region in the world which contribute to almost half of the world’s population.
Although Malaysians enjoy a rather average -neither too high nor too low – population density compare to its neighboring countries, family planning is still far lacking behind compare to the global range.
Why family planning matters?
Family planning contributes substantially to the improvement of maternal health, reduction of child mortality, and to eradicate poverty. Evidence-based data confirm the relationship between an increased availability of effective contraception and reduction in the induced abortion rate.
According to the World Health Organization estimates, one-third of 210 million pregnancies that occur each year are unintended. Most of them end in stillbirths, miscarriages, and induced abortions. Five million women are hospitalized each year for treatment of abortion complications such as hemorrhages and sepsis.
In Malaysia, women with the unmet need for family planning, (i.e those who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception) has increased from 25% to 36% in 2004. This included sexually active teenagers who did not wish to conceive.
Consequently, these unmet need for family planning results in the increasing report of babies ‘abandonment’ in Malaysia. With the latest one of a newborn baby girl was found abandoned in a paper bag hanging from the side mirror of a car in Ipoh.
In a study of teenagers between the ages of 18-21 in Malaysia, around 20% had sex with new partners without using any contraceptive methods. Of the 510462 babies born in the year 2010, there were 52982 out of wedlock pregnancies. These mothers had not used any form of contraceptives.
Although the issue of educating the public on family planning may trigger some debate over the pros and cons of making this knowledge accessible to unmarried sexually active female, the fact is even among married women in Malaysia, the use of the modern contraceptive method is low.
Constraints on family planning in Malaysia
In Malaysia, the contraception prevalence rate in 1966 was 8.8 percent but has increased to 52 percent (including traditional method of contraception) in 1984 thanks to the introduction of the National Family Planning Act. In term of the modern contraceptive method, only 32.3% of women practised it as in 2005-2010.
Unfortunately, the contraceptive use in Malaysia had stagnated to roughly the same percentage since the past 25 years. The Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM) reported that unwanted pregnancies are increasing due to low contraceptive practice among Malaysian women. Reports from Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Death (CEMD) Malaysia 2001–2005 revealed that in up to 70% of the maternal deaths, no form of family planning was practised.
Unsurprisingly, in term of ethnicity, Malays are reported with the lowest percentage in family planning practice in a survey by the National Population and Family Development Board (NPFDB). The east-coast states where Malays make up more than 90% of the population had the lowest usage.
In fact, in a study done in 2014, researchers discovered that Malay women were 92% less likely to use modern contraception as compared to non-Malay women. Ethnicity factor was discovered to be the key influence on the practice of contraceptive compared to financial status or education level.
A support for family planning
Family planning is not a matter of rejecting the natural course of your body, or what has been destined to be. It was simply an option to help you build a healthier and economically stable family. Which in turn will contribute to a better society.
But family planning should not be burdened on women themselves. Societal support is necessary for family planning to succeed. Women who discussed family planning with their spouses were found to be more likely to practice modern contraception than the women who did not. Giving teenagers access to contraceptive knowledge will not going to encourage illicit sexual relationship in itself. Contrarily it will help to curb the staggering numbers of the unwanted child in Malaysia.
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