Sex educ and teen pregnancy

Youth Problems in the Philippine Society

HOME PAGE
MESSAGES
CHILD LABOR
TEENAGE PREGNANCY
REFERENCES
OPENING STATEMENT
In the Philippines, according to the 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study by the
University of the Philippines Population Institute (Uppi) and the Demographic Research
and Development Foundation, 26 percent of our Filipino youth nationwide from ages 15 to
25 admitted to having a premarital sex experience. Whats worse is that 38 percent of our
youth are already in a live-in arrangement.

TEENAGE PREGNANCY
(1) NOT ORIGINAL
Teenage pregnancy is the condition of being pregnant of adolescence aged 10
to 19. Those who are affected are the girl herself up to the national society. The
victims of teenage pregnancy are the girl herself, her child, her parents and
relatives and the national society as a whole. It will also probably make her
economically vulnerable.

The national scope of the problem is alarming; the United Nation Population
Fund Agency (UNPFC) representative Ugochi Daniels claims that this could
derail the countrys Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Millennium
Development Goals are eight international development goals that the UN
member states have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. These MDG include
eradicating extreme poverty and attaining universal primary education. In
fact, among the six ASEAN major economies, the Philippines ranked the
highest rate in teenage pregnancy.

WHY IS IT A PROBLEM IN OUR

SOCIETY?
 Teen pregnancy is a communal problem, a family problem, and a personal
problem all rolled into one. It frequently goes hand in hand with premarital
sex. Problems come when the news needs to breach each parents party. A
spring of thought flash before ones eyes, and registers only two; whether, to
back the hell up abort the child or carry on with the pregnancy but sign up for
adoption - or get the hell in have the child with all its perks and consequences
alike.

After which, these impressions simply serve no purpose but to put them off,
and deduce to mere nuisance to them when the truth of their situation slowly
sinks in. How do they provide for the child if their parents cut them short
financially? Will they be able to go to grad school? What will become of their
future? What will become of their childs future? By this time, they would have
to contend with the pressures of parenthood. Whatll truly bother them in the
long run is the reality of whether or not they can fulfill their obligation as
parents, and the security of their childs future. Teenage pregnancy is
becoming a societal problem that branches out to other problems.

NOT ORIGINAL

NOT ORIGINAL

HISTORY AND STATISTICS OF TEENAGE

PREGNANCY IN THE PHILIPPINES
 NOT ORIGINAL

One of the reasons why teenagers are already aware with this topic is because
of media. They get a higher knowledge to sex from the magazines, TV shows,
internet, movies and other media. In television, they now also create and make
shows about teen pregnancy like Teen Moms and 16 and Pregnant. These
shows make us realize that the rate of this problem is getting higher and it is
getting usual. There are a lot of reported cases regarding teenage pregnancy
since the past few years until now.

According to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), teenage pregnancy has a

huge rate in the Philippines, especially among the poor. 2/3 of Filipinos, who
give birth before age 20, belongs to the low class society. Data from the
National Statistics Office showed that 8 percent among 1.7 million babies born
in 2004 were born to mothers 15-19 years old. Young mother gave birth to
818,000 babies in 2000 alone. This means, almost one of every 10 babies is
born to teenage mothers. The risk is, almost 10 percent of the born babies from
young mothers are malnourished. As years passed by, the statistics are getting
higher. According to the study done by the Population Institute of the
University of the Philippines, more than 46 percent of teenage pregnant
woman resort to induced abortion which is against the law and the Church; 2
of every 5 teenage pregnancies are unwanted ones. If the government wont
start acting on this, this problem will be worse as years goes by.

WHAT SOCIAL FACTORS INSTIGATE TEENAGE

PREGNANCY IN OUR COUNTRY?
In the developed world, the causes of teenage pregnancy is different in the sense that it is
mostly outside marriage and carries lots of social stigma. Thus, adolescent sexual behavior
is one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. In our world today, having sex before 20 yrs is
the in thing, it is even normal all over the world and this is brought about high levels of
adolescent pregnancy which creates sexual relationship among teenagers without the
provision of comprehensive information about sex.

The immature and irresponsible behavior arising due to complex teenage

psychology is another important cause of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers often go
through a number of emotions because of their own transition from childhood and
peer pressure.

Lack of sexual education causes teens to get abortions as they ultimately realize
their inability to bear the responsibilities of being a parent at such a young age.
 The lack of attention and affection from family resulting in depression forces them
to seek love and support from other people, especially members of the opposite sex.

Overprotection gives rise to frustration and a feeling of not being loved and cared
for. Thus, balance is the key to avoid this problem. Lack of affectionate supervision
of parents or guardians results into the adolescents or teenage girls becoming
pregnant.

CONSEQUENCES OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN

SOCIETY
a) The issue of teenage pregnancy has several consequences. It is continually increasing
the population growth rate in the society. Many babies are being born through it, which
cannot be catered for by the available resources.

b) The issue encourages dropping out from schools. Many pregnant female children end up
dropping out from school to avoid shame thus undermining government's efforts towards
ensuring Education for All and the Millennium Development goal of Education in the
nearest future.

c) Due to poverty, many of those involved in teenage pregnancy die off prematurely
because of lack of proper medical attention.

According to the CDC, children born to teenage mothers have an effect on society as well.
These babies are more likely to rely on public health care throughout their lives and
because they also have more chronic medical conditions, this places a higher burden on the
health system.

NOT ORIGINAL NOT ORIGINAL NOT O

ARE THERE LAWS ADDRESSING THIS
PROBLEM? DOES IT OR DOES IT NOT HELP?
There are no specific laws that address the growing problem of teenage pregnancy in our
country; not only in our country but worldwide. This cannot be prevented since it is the
decision of the couple. One cannot simply tell a couple to not do the deed or have sex
since they themselves are capable of voicing opinions out.

The following laws are implemented to address the social issue of teenage pregnancy in
the Philippines; not directly but is connected to that topic as well: the RH Bill which
includes sex education and the use of contraceptives--- and thats about it. This tells us
several things: firstly, there are not enough laws that address teenage pregnancy since it is
really difficult to monitor it. Secondly, this social issue cannot be prevented with the help
of laws since people cannot be controlled in their decisions. And thirdly, this is a social
issue that continues everywhere and not even government officials or politicians know
how to control it.
RECOMMENDATIONS

NOT ORIGINAL

Sex education can reach teenagers through many different ways, one of
which is through schools. The government can make it compulsory for school
students to undergo at least a certain number of hours of sex education.
Instead of focusing on the dangers and consequences of teenage pregnancy,
schools can also educate teenagers on the advantages of not having a baby
when they are unprepared so that students may be able to weigh out the pros
and the cons. This can be enforced by getting students to attend service
learning trips and having them be exposed to the real world of teenage
pregnancy.

Another way that teenagers can be educated about sex is through their
parents but in order for this to work, there must be a strong relationship
between the child and the parent. Also with a strong relationship, parents can
have more influence in their childs sex decisions and may be able to direct
their decisions in the right way. So in other words, having a good parent-child
relationship can help to decrease the affected population.

HOME
Create a free website
 Powered by
One in Ten Young Filipino Women Age 15 to 19 Is Already A Mother or
Pregnant With First Child (Final Results from the 2013 National
Demographic and Health Survey)
Reference Number:
2014-057

Release Date:
Thursday, August 28, 2014

One in ten young Filipino women age 15-19 has begun childbearing: 8
percent are already mothers and another 2 percent are pregnant with their
first child according to the results of the 2013 National Demographic and
Health Survey (NDHS). Among young adult women age 20 to 24, 43 percent
are already mothers and 4 percent are pregnant with their first child (Table
1).

Early pregnancy and motherhood varies by education, wealth quintile, and

region. It is more common among young adult women age 15 to 24 with less
education than among those with higher education (44 percent for women
with elementary education versus 21 percent for women with college
education). Early childbearing is also more common in Caraga (38 percent)
and Cagayan Valley (37 percent) than other regions. The proportion of young
adult women who have begun childbearing is higher among those classified
as belonging to poor households than those in wealthier households (37
percent for young women in the lowest wealth quintile versus 13 percent for
women in the highest wealth quintile).

The survey also reveals that one in five (19 percent) young adult Filipino
women age 18 to 24 years had initiated their sexual activity before age 18.
Some of them would have had their first intimate sexual act before
marriage. The survey reveals that 15 percent of young adult women age 20
to 24 had their first marriage or began living with their first spouse or
partner by age 18. This proportion is lower than the proportion (19 percent)
earlier cited regarding initiation by young women of an intimate sexual
activity. Age at first marriage hardly changed over the years. A slightly
higher proportion (17 percent) of older cohort of women (age group 40-49)
had their first marriage at age 18 (Table 3).

Initiation of sexual activity before age 18 is more common among young

adult women with less education and those in poorer households. Over 40
percent of young adult women with some elementary education, compared
with only 7 percent of those with college education, reported having their
first intimate sexual act at age 18 (Table 2). Similarly, 36 percent of young
adult women in the lowest wealth quintile, compared with only 10 percent
of those in the highest wealth quintile, had their first intimate sexual act
before age 18. Across regions, the proportion ranges from 11 percent in
Cordillera Administrative Region to 27 percent in Davao. The proportion of
young adult women reporting first intimate sexual act before age 18 is 22
percent for rural areas and 17 percent for urban areas. Among young women
age 15 to 24, 2 percent reported initiating their sexual activity before
turning 15.

The 2013 NDHS is a nationally representative survey of almost 16,000

households and 19,000 women age 15-49. The survey was conducted from
August 12 to October 16, 2013. The 2013 NDHS is designed to provide
information on fertility, family planning, and health in the country. Other
important findings of the 2013 NDHS will be presented in a data
dissemination forum on September 2, 2014 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria,
Ortigas Ave. cor. ADB Ave., Quezon City.
THE Philippines is one of nine countries where the number of human immunodeficiency virus-
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV- AIDS) cases is growing. But what is more
alarming is that many of the new victims are teenagers, with some as young as 15.

Based on a study conducted by the Department of Health (DOH), more young Filipinos have
acquired the HIV. Data from the Philippine HIV/AIDS Registry showed that in January this year
alone, 118 of the new HIV patients belong to the 15 to 24 age bracket.

They are among the 448 fresh HIV cases reported for the first month of the year.

Half of the 448 victims, or 224 patients, are from Metro Manila, while 16 percent come from the
Calabarzon region, seven percent from Davao region, and four percent from Western Visayas.
The rest of the regions recorded less than one to two percent of HIV cases this year.
From 1984 to January 2014, 36 people below 15 years old were infected with HIV. For the same
period, 429 people aged 15 to 19 acquired the virus, as well as 3,467 in the 20 to 24 age bracket.

The United Nations Childrens Fund (Unicef) has also noticed this disturbing trend, saying new
HIV infections now occur at a younger age.

In some areas, one in three persons most at risk are in the 15-17 age group, Unicef said.
Experts attribute the spike in HIV cases to unprotected sex. The sharp increase in HIV cases
started in 2008.

Teresita Bagasao, Country Coordinator for the UN Program in HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said there
is a decline in infection and death figures worldwide. However, the Philippines is on an upward
trend.

Sad to say, we are included among nine countries with over 25 percent new reported infections.
Its worrisome because the new infections that have been reported have come only in the last
three years, she said.

The other countries where HIV/AIDS is on the rise are Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Kaszakhstan, Kyrgystan, Republic of Moldova, Georgia, and Guinea-Bissau.

From 2008-2012, there was a 538 percent increase in new cases of HIV in the Philippines,
according to the National Epidemiology Center of the Department of Health (DoH).

Bagasao said when the first infection was reported in 1984, HIV/AIDS was considered a slow
and hidden disease. But since 2007 when one HIV case was reported every three days, the
disease has been on a fast and furious rampage. Now, one HIV infection is reported every two
hours or 30 cases a day.

According to a 2013 study of the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI),
premarital sex among the youth rose to 32 percent from 18 percent in 1994. The study showed
that in 2013, 6.2 million Filipino youth had premarital sex, and more than half of this number
4.8 million young peopleindulged in unprotected sex.

Of the 6.2 million, 7.3 percent engaged in casual sex (one with no relationship or payment
involved, and happened only once or twice), and 5.3 percent of males had sex with other males.

However, only 40 percent of these youth aged 15 to 24 are aware of sexually transmitted
diseases. However, 80 percent are aware of HIV/AIDS.

This means that the youth are not able to connect AIDS with sexually transmitted diseases,
UPPI Dean Joy Natividad said. She described the findings as shocking because these are youth
who have graduated from high school and college but they do not understand STDs.

The study noted that unprotected sex could heighten the risk of pregnancy or acquiring sexually-
transmitted diseases.
Infections among the youth, which comprise one-fourth of the total number of cases, increased
tenfold in 2013, with 995 reported infections from 44 in 2006. The estimates exclude unreported
cases.

Natividad said unprotected sex remains to be the main cause of HIV infection.
There is a heightened, bolder and wider range of sexual behaviors including those that use the
new high speed technology, she pointed out.

She said the study also looked into how many people found sex partners from texting and the
Internet and found that ways of interaction can lead to risky behavior among the youth, such as
casual, regular, non-romantic same-gender and extramarital sexual experience.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Acaba, co-convenor of the Network to Stop AIDS-Philippines (NSAP), said
migrants, transgenders, homosexuals and other vulnerable sectors are also at high risk.

The question is, how do we give them access to HIV testing? he said.

He added that even if condoms are now sold openly, there is still a social stigma on the person
purchasing them.

Amendments
The alarming increase of HIV cases prompted lawmakers to call for the amendment of RA 8504
or the National AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998.

According to the Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD),

the laws provisions no longer respond to the current challenges of the concentrated HIV
epidemic in the Philippines.

Rep. Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bikol said despite advances in medical treatment, the DOH
reported that people seek treatment when it is too late.

He said the proposed amendments seek to promote HIV testing of minors even without parental
consent.

Its reality. No one tells their parent if they had sexual experience or if they have sexually
transmitted disease or HIV. When parents got wind of it, they usually get angry. The child gets
ostracized, stigmatized, Batocabe said.

He proposed that minors aged 15 and above who may be infected with HIV should not ask for
the consent of their parents before being tested. He said a compassionate approach in counseling
and support should be given to the young HIV victims.

Ito po ay significant change in the law in order for us to help and reach out to a population
where incidence of HIV and AIDS is growing, and to have a compassionate approach to their
treatment, Batocabe said.
But this remains a contentious issue in Congress, and lawmakers have yet to iron out other issues
such as whether the parents should be informed immediately of the HIV test results.

HIV testing costs at least P1,500 in private clinics and is free in public hospitals. The DoH is
trying to improve testing by finding ways to quicken the process, thereby reducing the cost.

Batocabe said the government can shoulder the costs of HIV testing.

The UN Population Fund says the Philippines is the only country in the Asia-Pacific region
where the rate of teen pregnancies rose over the last two decades.

A study says teen pregnancies, high youth unemployment and the slow decline of the
overall fertility rate in the Philippines may deprive the country of the faster economic growth
that usually comes from having more working-age people than younger and older
dependents.

UNFPA country representative Klaus Beck said Tuesday that Filipino girls aged 15 to 19
make up 10 percent of the population of 100 million, and one out of 10 of them have already
given birth.