KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 – The Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM) assisted 2,943 clients who reached out to the group through its hotline between January and December last year, according to its 2023 annual report.
RRAAM is a women’s rights and health advocacy group that offers free consultation service on safe, affordable and women-friendly medical and surgical abortion services, as well as contraceptive methods through its hotline
The hotline received the most number of clients (343) in December last year.
Clients ages 19 to 24 accounted for almost 40 per cent of the hotline’s total number of clients last year, followed by those in the 25 to 30 age group at over 30 per cent.
Other clients came from the 31 to 35 age group at over 10 per cent, and the 36 to 40 age group, which received less than 10 per cent of clients.
The hotline also consulted with clients over the age of 40 and under the age of 18, both groups accounting for the lowest numbers of all its clients last year.
While most of the clients who contacted the hotline were single (54.9 per cent), a significant number of its clients in the past year were also married (45.1 per cent).
Clients without children made up more than half of those who consulted the hotline last year (58.5 per cent), while those with one to two children accounted for 27.7 per cent. This is followed by clients with three to four children (10.6 per cent), and those with five or more children (3.2 per cent).
A large majority of the clients had positive results (94.6 per cent) from a urine pregnancy test (UPT), while a smaller number (5.4 per cent) tested negative after taking the UPT.
Clients in the first trimester of pregnancy consulted the hotline the most last year at almost 80 per cent, followed by those in the 13 to 22 week gestational period at less than 20 per cent, and women at 23 gestational weeks and above at the lowest percentage.
Most clients who consulted RRAAM in 2023 preferred getting a medical abortion (57.9 per cent), while 24.9 per cent cited their preference for surgical abortion. Those who had no preference constituted 17.1 per cent of the hotline’s clients.
Medical abortion, which is widely practised throughout the world, involves intake of the medication combination of mifepristone and misoprostol.
Both medications are listed on The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) list of core medicines for reproductive health.
However, these medications are not on the Ministry of Health’s registered list of medications and are therefore prohibited from sale in Malaysia.
Over 90 per cent of clients who consulted the hotline were from Peninsular Malaysia with the majority coming from the Klang Valley (73.4 per cent), while clients from East Malaysia made up 5.9 per cent. The RRAAM hotline also received a small number of clients from overseas at 1.5 per cent.
In Malaysia, abortion is permitted under Section 312 of the Penal Code, which allows a medical practitioner to perform the procedure in circumstances when the life of the pregnant woman is in jeopardy or there is a threat of injury to her mental and physical health.
However, access to abortion and contraception remain a challenge for many women in the country in both public and private health care facilities due to the high costs of these services, judgement and prejudice, as well as the threat of legal action.
For a list of women-friendly clinics offering safe and affordable abortion services and contraceptive counselling, whatsapp the RRAAM hotline at 60183687950.
