KUALA LUMPUR – Cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in 13 to 17-year-olds had been on a slight downtrend since 2018, when 255 cases were recorded, before increasing last year, the Education Ministry said.
The cases reported to public healthcare facilities under the Health Ministry numbered 225 in 2019, 191 cases in 2020, and 96 cases in 2021.
Last year, however, 146 cases were recorded, the Education Ministry said in a parliamentary written reply.
The STDs recorded were syphilis, gonorrhoea, chancroid, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The Education Ministry was answering Dr Halimah Ali (PN-Kapar) who asked for the number of STD cases among secondary school students.
The PAS politician also asked for the number of school dropouts at the secondary level and those found to have abused drugs.
The ministry replied that there had been a decline in the number of school dropouts in the last five years, from 1.21% in 2018 to 0.99% last year.
As for high school students who had tested positive for drug use, urine tests conducted by schools in collaboration with the National Anti-Drugs Agency showed a declining trend.
In 2019, 3% of students screened tested positive for drug use, and this dropped to 2.16% in 2020.
Last year, the figure dropped further to 1.18% of those screened.
As of September this year, 0.64% tested positive. – October 27, 2023