Yap, Micah Joy C.

25 October 2016

FLCD 135

T. Katrina Ortega

Reaction Paper: Importance of Sexuality Education to Filipino Youth

Because of the increasing rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) among adolescents around the world, it is of great concern for the
education system to take part and make an action of adding sexual education in the
curriculum.
As of this year, ironically enough and being a Catholic country, the Philippines
garnered the highest teenage pregnancy rate in a recent study of the UN Population
Fund (2016) in the whole Asia-Pacific Region. The Philippines is the only country in the
Asia-Pacific region where the rate of teenage pregnancies rose over the last two
decades. According to the study, low socio-economic status, high youth
unemployment and lack of education are some of the major reasons for the continuous
increase of teenage pregnancies. Girls as young as 15 to 19 make up 10 percent of the
100 million population of the country which adds more concern.
Sexual education is not all about sex. It is about putting awareness for the health,
well-being and most importantly for the empowerment of the youth in making informed
choices and decisions (Valisno, 2010). Sexual health education or simply sexual
education provides information about human bodily development, sex, sexuality and
relationships as well as teaching skills-building in helping young people to communicate
and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Under the
Reproductive Health Law, it is proposed that implementing sexual education should
occur throughout grade levels, with appropriate information aligned with the students'
development and cultural background. Training of teachers on sexuality modules will
need to be done before this can be fully implemented. Sexual education also includes
wide-range of honest information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence,
contraceptions, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender and sexuality treating
sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development (Future of Sex
Ed, 2007).

Many studies show why is sexual education important to young people's health
and well-being. To avoid negative health consequences is one of the key ideas for
sexual education. Not only in the Philippines that there are increasing rate in teenage
pregnancy. Young people acquire HIV and STD infections in the United States making
up almost one-half of the total population in the whole America (Center for Disease
Control, 2012). Sexual education teaches young people information they need to
protect themselves. Other importance include: communication about sexuality and
sexual health, delaying sex until they are readywhere many sex ed programs have
proven effective at helping young people delay sex or have sex less often (Alford et al.,
2008), understanding healthy and unhealthy relationships (National Sexual Education
Standards, 2012), understanding, valuing and feeling the autonomy over their bodies,
respecting the rights of others to bodily autonomy, showing dignity and respect for all
people regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and protecting their
academic successhealth related problems and unintended pregnancy both
contribute to absenteeism and dropout (Center for Disease Control , 2010).
In the Philippine context, teaching sexual education in schools is still new. Its not
every day that teens get to talk openly about sex and the struggles of being a
teenager inside the classroom. Usually, they talk amongst themselves in huddles and
whispers. They get their information, often tainted with misconceptions and myths, from
their other friends who dont know any more than they do (Santos, 2015). Sexual
education is said to be a minefield of hearsay and speculation, where biology is a more
of a subject to pass than the understanding of how the body functions, Santos added.
According to the executive director of the Family Planning Organization of the
Philippines, Dr. Anabelle Fajardo, as the young people start puberty, this is the time
(high school) that girls get their period and when boys start having wet dreams. This is
also the start of the reproductive health years when these young adolescents need
information to help them make sense of these hormonal changes. In the 2013 Young
Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS), among the more than 19,000 youth who were
surveyed, 1 out of 3 Filipinos between the ages of 20-24 have had casual sex. YAFS
estimates that 1.4 million young people have engaged in casual sex, with about
600,000 having had FUBU or f*ck buddy. Meanwhile, teen pregnancy rates continue to
climb. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that from 2000-2010 more
than 60% of Filipinas became mothers before they were the age of 20. The status of

comprehensive sexual education that schools should comply with in the Philippines,
according to the Department of Education has not yet been developed with the latest
report on the implementation of the RH Law.
An article presented by Josefina N. Natividad, ScD of the University of the
Philippines Population Institute in the 2013 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study
(YAFS3) at the PACU 8th Anniversary National Conference entitled, Filipino Youth:
Sexuality and Education Status discussed the young adult fertility and sexuality study
and its non-sexual and sexual risks by education in the Philippines. According to
Natividad, "youth" is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of
childhood to adulthood's independence. As it is often considered a critical period.
Studying the youth is demographically characterized by a period of many critical
transitions that include: school leaving, first job, first serious relationship, first marriage
until first pregnancy. Natividad also presented the Filipino youth demographic profile.
As of 2013, there were 19.2 million young people in the Philippines of these, 10.3 million
were aged 15-19 and 9.0 million were aged 20-24. With this population, the sample
domain was done per region with a sample size of 1,000 respondents. A 2-stage sample
design with barangay as the primary sampling and household as secondary sampling
unit with all members of the household within age group 15-24 were considered.
YAFS 4 used ten survey instruments. There are: household form, eight
questionnaires for the youth respondents that is divided into (1) main questionnaires (for
single male and female, and married male and female) and (2) Muslim questionnaires
(for single male and female, and married male and female) and community form. The
content of the main questionnaire is divided into 12 blocks namely A-L. These are: (A)
Individual characteristics. (B) Family characteristics and relationships. (C) Self-esteem
and values. 3(D) School, work and community. (E) Media exposure. (F) Friends and
peers. (G) Health and lifestyle. (H) Marriage. (I) Puberty, dating and Sex. (J) Fertility and
contraception. (K) Knowledge and attitudes towards marriage, sex and related issues.
(L) Reproductive health.
The findings of the study on non-sexual risks include that smoking is least common
among the college educated, but drinking is highest in the group. The use of drugs is
low in all education levels (college, high schoolvocational or undergrad and
elementary). The experience of technology-mediated harassment and physical

violence is not differentiated by education. The proportion with suicidal attempts

increase with education but the differences are small.
As for the sexual risk behaviors, premarital sex is most prevalent among high
school graduates followed by the college educated. Use of protection against
pregnancy/STI increases with education but is still generally low. The trend in
childbearing increases by education status. Technology mediated sexual activity
happens but prevalence is still low. Technology mediated access to pornography has a
clear education inclination. Other forms of risky sexual activities arose are: paid for sex,
had sex with the same sex, had FUBU and had casual sex.
On the youth's knowledge about reproduction, the percentage with correct
knowledge about certain relevant aspects of reproduction does not vary by
education. Discussion of sex at home is uncommon but increases with education.
Majority of the respondents do not think they have enough knowledge about sex. For
the knowledge about HIV/AIDS, there is a distinct difference by education in awareness
of the disease AIDS. The percentage with correct knowledge about HIV increases with
education. But the level can stand improvement. The percentage with comprehensive
knowledge is low though increasing with education. As conclusion, there are significant
variations across the regions in individual characteristics of the youth. There are many
forms of risk behaviors, both sexual and non-sexual, some of which are differentiated by
education status. But there are gaps in relevant knowledge that can lead to adverse
outcomes. The study presented by Natividad taps a different perspective on education
where they take into regard the educational level of the respondent from elementary
to college for the findings and their experiences regarding sexuality with the present
information that they know.
Another study was presented by the UP Population Institute in the Youth Forum of
2002. Dr. Corazon M. Raymundo discussed Sex Files: All About the Young and the
Curious. In the presentation, the social environment, risk behaviors and its
consequences and reasons why the Filipino youth engage in risk behaviors were the
main points for discussion. In 2002, the main activities of the adolescents are schooling
for the younger adolescents and more young males working than females for the late
adolescents. The family as one of the social environment of adolescents show that
majority were raised by both natural parents and 76% have parents still living together.
In general, adolescents view their parents to be more permissive than controlling seeing

their fathers to be more strict than their mothers. Females are shown to have higher
tendency to live away from home than males. The likelihood of leaving home increases
when an adolescent leaves school.
In the school setting, majority of Filipino adolescents attended public schools.
Larger proportion of those who are no longer in school had experienced school
suspension. Boys have higher likelihood for school suspension than girls. When it comes
to peers, boys keep a slightly wider circle of friends than girls. On average, Filipino
adolescents have five close friends and 42% knew that some of their friends are having
premarital sex where more than half is among boys. In church, regardless of the religion,
Filipino youth attend ceremonies at least once a week and girls are more religious than
boys. In media, 6% have regular internet access and almost half of the adolescents
have access to pornographic reading materials and x-rated films and videos.
Adolescence is a healthy transition period from childhood to adulthood. Sexual
development is a normal part of the transition. Most adolescents were found to have
gone through adolescents without much problems but a large number engage in risk
behaviors in ways that can leave scars that can hurt their development in many
aspects.
On the non-sexual risk behaviors among adolescents, males have higher
percentage of smoking than females but younger women are picking up the smoking
practice faster than the men. Out-of-school youth smoke more than those who are still
in school. Alcohol consumption is almost universal among younger males. Those who
are working are more prone to drinking than in school youth. 1.8 million Filipino youth
have tried illegal drugs. Suicide is more prone to girls than of boys. As for the sexual risk
behavior findings, a quarter of youth have engaged in pre-marital sex. Same-sex is
more common among the boys for both in-school and younger adolescents. The
minority of first sex experiences were not planned that is more common among females
and students. Most of the first sex experiences were wanted and planned. This is more
common among males and working youth. Casual sex is practiced more by males than
females. Males tend to have more than one sexual partner than females. On the
multiple risk behaviors, those who smoke, drink and use drugs are most likely to engage
in pre-marital sex. Accidental and unwanted pregnancies are increasing. The reasons
why adolescents engage in risk behaviors are said that they are becoming less
connected with their families and religion. They are doing experimentation with their

peers with the pornographic media being accessible anytime that takes a large space
in their time and attention.
Adolescents now are said to have more liberal attitudes on sex and sex-related
matters. They are more approving of live-in arrangements and pre-marital sex. They are
in support of divorce law, accepting homosexuals and women getting pregnant
without marriage. Students display the most liberal attitudes. In conclusion of the study,
adolescents face both sexual and non-sexual risks where boys are more into riskier
behaviors. Consequences of risk behaviors are already apparent. Many are not even
aware of it.
With the two given studies, it is still important to know that young people have
the right to lead healthy lives. This is when the need for sexual education comes in.
Research has repeatedly found that sexual education provides accurate, complete,
and developmentally appropriate information on human sexuality, including riskreduction strategies and contraception helps young people take steps to protect their
health, including delaying sex, using condoms or contraception, and being
monogamous (Alford et. al, 2008). As they develop and take control of their lives, they
are liable for whatever life decisions they make. The balance between responsibility
and rights is critical as it sets behavioral expectations and builds trust with the
knowledge, ability, and comfort to manage their sexual health throughout life in a
thoughtful, empowered and responsible way. Research from the National Survey of
Family Growth assessed the impact of sexuality education on youth sexual risk-taking for
young people ages 15-19 and found that teens who received sexual education were
50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received late sexual
education programs (Chin et al, 2012). Society needs to provide young people with
honest, age-appropriate information they need to live healthy lives, and build healthy
relationships, and young people need to take personal responsibility for their health and
well being. Advocates must also work to dismantle barriers to sexual health, including
poverty and lack of access to health care. Even accounting for differences in
household income and education, states which teach sex education and/or HIV
education that covers abstinence as well as contraception, tend to have the lowest
pregnancy rates.

References:
Alford S., Bridges E., Gonzalez T., Davis L., and Hauser D. (2003). Science and
Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV
& Sexually Transmitted Infections (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth.
Natividad, Josefina. Filipino Youth: Sexuality And Education Status. 1st ed.
Quezon City: University of the Philippines Population Institute, 2016. Web. 23 Oct. 2016.
Ronda, R. (2010). DepEd: Sex education not all about sex. Philippine Star.
Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/news-feature/581481/deped-sex-educationnot-all-about-sex
Rose Grace Grose , Shelly Grabe & Danielle Kohfeldt (2014) Sexual Education,
Gender Ideology, and Youth Sexual Empowerment, The Journal of Sex Research, 51:7,
742-753,
Santos, Ana. "Learning Sex Education In School". Rappler 2016. Web. 23 Oct.
2016.
"Youth Health And Rights In Sex Education". Futureofsexed.org. N.p., 2016. Web.
23 Oct. 2016.