Bernama reported LPPKN chairman Rohani Abdul Karim as saying these women risked their wellbeing and health by becoming pregnant without proper planning.

“Contraceptive use among women of reproductive age in our country also remains low at 34.5%.

“The prevalence of unplanned pregnancies was also high at around 33%,” she said at a forum on family planning advocacy, jointly hosted with the United Nations Population Fund, today in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.

Rohani said LPPKN had planned various programmes to raise women’s awareness of family planning methods and why they need it.

She said women should dispel the notion that family planning is only to reduce births but view it as a path to create higher-quality family institutions.

“Family planning is not to restrict births or family growth, but to proactively plan pregnancies and avoid couples having babies when the mothers are totally unprepared.

“Good family planning not only helps ensure economic stability in the family but also creates harmony in marriages.”

She said LPPKN provided free contraceptives to women in the B40 low-income group.