Rise in sexual activity amongst Malaysian youths
A panel discussion was held
inconjunction with the launch of the
#COMETOGETHER campaign.
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According to the findings, the number of Malaysian youths having sexual intercourse have increased from 18.8 per cent in 2016 to 35.4 per cent in 2022.
The survey was conducted among more than 1000 Malaysian youths, aged between 18 and 30 where it further unveiled that a large majority of them (62 per cent) had their first sexual experience before the age of 22.
Durex marketing manager, Jerome Goh said other key findings include one out of three youths actually believe that women do not get pregnant when they have sexual intercourse for the first time.
“Misconceptions about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and pregnancy are still prevalent,” he said during the launch of the #COMETOGETHER campaign by Durex, which aims to encourage more open conversations around sex.
Besides the Malaysian youths’ sexual activity, the findings are also categorised into the youth’s perceptions versus reality, sexual and reproductive health knowledge levels.
Some other key findings revealed - about 31 per cent believed the myth that a woman cannot get pregnant during her period, 40 per cent have pressured to have sex, 35 per cent believe that two condoms at the same time are better than one, 23 per cent believe that HIV can be transmitted through a toilet seat.
Reckitt Benckiser marketing director Tiffany Tang said sexual conversations are crucial to ensure that Malaysian youths are empowered to make informed decisions about their sexuality.
“We are hopeful that through the findings of this survey, more opportunities for open conversations on sex and sexuality can be done to create a safe space for Malaysian youths to share experiences, educate themselves and ask questions.
The more informed they are, the more prepared they are to make better choices," she said.
