SINGAPORE - The Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS) has launched a guide book for organisations and counsellors working with pregnant teenagers and young marriages.

Titled Engage, Connect & Grow: A Guide For Practitioners Working With Pregnant Teens, Minor Couples & Their Families, the guide is the product of a year of research into case studies involving three pregnant teenagers, three young married couples, and their parents.

The research is relevant not only to the Malay-Muslim community but also to young couples and pregnant teens across all communities.

"The knowledge is transferable to other communities" said Ms Azita Abdul Aziz, 49, director for Specialised Services at PPIS.

Ms Azita added that while there were certain cultural issues specific to the Malay-Muslim community, many factors were common across different communities.

One of the suggestions put forward by the three-person research team behind the guide was that different agencies offering different services should work together for the needs of young couples and pregnant minors.

"Families shouldn't have to repeat their stories at different agencies" said Ms Fajariah Saban, 34, centre manager at INSPIRASI PPIS and one of the contributors to the guide book, adding that there could even be only one main case worker to help those in need.