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INTRODUCTION:

Teenage pregnancy has been a worldwide issue that needs to be confronted to mitigate the

problems of maternal adolescent childbearing, especially in the third world countries. In fact, it

has emerged to be one of the major public health problems in South Asia (Raj et al., 2010) and in

Western Europe (Seamarck, 2001). It is reported in India that adolescent pregnancy is one of the

serious health threat for women aged 15-19 years old (Patra, 2016). In Nigeria, the ratio of teenage

mothers to women in their 20s who die during pregnancy and childbirth is 5:1. In addition, they

likely have more higher mortality rates for infants (Amoran, 2012). Consequently, social analysts

and researchers enumerated some of the reason why pregnancies among adolescents have been

increasing in spite of interventions from government health agencies and NGOs. Thus, the reasons

vary from socio-economic status (Dulita, Nalika, Upul, Crishantha & De Alwis, 2013), lack of

education (Eloundou-Enyegue, 2004), teenagers’ initiation to sexual activity (Grace, Ihuoma &

Temitope, 2013), family history of teenage births (Wall-Wieler, Ross & Nickel, 2016), etc. The

incidence of mortality in teenage pregnancies and adverse birth outcomes is increasing every year

due to immature pre-natal care, socio-economic challenges, and inadequate weight gained during

pregnancy (Xu-Kuan, Shi Wu, Flemming Demissie & Rhoads, 2007).

However, the Philippines have the same predicament regarding teenage pregnancy. Due to

the official ranking of the United Nation Population Fund Agency in 2012, the number of teenage

pregnancies, aged 10-19 years old, have increased to 70% over the last ten years. As a result, this

has imposed a huge problem towards the achievement of Millenium Development Goals that puts

the country in red alert (Philippine News Agency, 2012). Moreover, 14% of the teenage girls in

the age bracket of 15-19 were reported for the first time to be already mothers or have had several

children in the 2014 survey of Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality as compared to the 8% of the
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2002 survey (Au-Yeung, 2014). Among the reasons identified, the major causes of teenage

pregnancies are limited access to sexual education and sexual health services. This is contrary to

the church teachings’ alternative methods of family planning. Modern technology is also

considered as one of the major culprits to the increased number of teenage pregnancy cases.

Occasionally, teenagers get hooked to different social networking sites such as Facebook, Online

Dating, Instagram, etc. using their smartphones, notebooks and tablets. Due to easy access to

modern technology and the curiosity of teenagers to engage in sexual activities without appropriate

knowledge about family planning and contraceptions, it often ends up with unplanned pregnancy.

Mangino (2008) identified that teenager mothers drop out from school to give way to

assume their mothering role. Among the young mothers and fathers, the former suffers the

consequences the most which include: impediment in education, the health risks for the mother,

developmental crisis, and family constraints. SmithBattle (1992) identified, from the most

disadvantaged teenage young mothers, the feeling of wanting to be off the road of desolation in

the future where the fulfilment of their roles is anticipated to become tough and struggling.

Being a young mother can affect one’s education. Teen mothers are more likely drop out

of high school than girls who delay childbearing. Young motherhood can also affect employment

and social class. A teenage mother may become financially dependent on her family or on public

assistance. Teen mother is more likely to live in poverty. Social issues in different countries

regarding teenage pregnancy include lower education levels, higher rates of poverty. Social issues

in different countries regarding teenage pregnancy include lower education levels, higher rates of

poverty and other poorer life outcomes birth for the teen mother and her child.
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Background of the Study

Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenage girl, usually within the ages of 13-19, becoming

pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to girls who have not reached legal

adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant. Teen pregnancy is a health issue

that influences all of us. A child having a baby as a teenager is more likely to face critical social

issues like poverty, poor education, risky behaviors that lead to poor health issues, and child

welfare. The financial cost of teens having babies is financially devastating. Educational

attainment is difficult for the teen mother and this leads to decreased economic opportunities and

earnings throughout their lifetime. In 2008, public spending for births resulting from unplanned

pregnancies totaled an estimated $12.5 billion (National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy,

2014).

Teenage pregnancy is usually, outside of marriage and carries a social stigma in many

communities and cultures. In the Philippine setting, teenage pregnancy is becoming a major cause

of concern. An alarmed rising trend of young women becoming mothers and majority are

unmarried. Young pregnant women are more vulnerable to death during pregnancy while

childbirth and a huge number are not physically and emotionally prepared for motherhood. One

third of pregnant teens receive insufficient prenatal care and that their children are more likely to

suffer from health issues in childhood or be hospitalized than those born to older women

(Guttmacher Institute,2001).

Statistical information shows that Filipino female teenagers are increasingly becoming

pregnant and become mothers at an early age. In the last decade, the number of live births by

teenage mothers in the Philippines escalated. In the United Nations (2008) data, the Philippines

ranks third highest in teenage pregnancy and has an increasing early childbearing rate compared
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to its neighbors in ASEAN. The United Nations Fund Population Activities (2011) annual report

indicates that teenage pregnancies in the Philippines have risen by 70% from 114,205 in 1999 to

195,662 in 2009. In 2010, the latest year for which statistics are available, a total of 207,898

mothers aged below 20 years old gave birth from 126,025 in 2000 (National Statistics Office).

Teenage Pregnancy is a cause of concern because of its increasing incidence in the society

and its associated increase in mortality. The Department of Health tackles teenage pregnancy as

central to the Government’s work to prevent health illnesses, child poverty and social exclusion.

Maternal and prenatal health is of concern among teenage pregnant women. The worldwide

incidence of premature birth and low birth weight are higher among adolescent mothers. The

Researcher is faced with the glaring truth that at a very young age, a lot of young people today

have their children. According to a survey, one out of four women became mothers by age of 19.

In this young population, majority is still unmarried – % is living-in with their partners and 2.6 are

not in union. (National Demography and Health Survey, 2003).

Teenage pregnancy is a serious problem that affects the community, school and society.

Teenagers nowadays tend to be more liberated about their sexual relationship and sexual activities.

The books, magazines, newspapers, and other forms of media influenced the teenager’s idea of

sex, giving rise to sex experimentation and unprotected sexual intercourse. Based on the National

Statistics Office (NSO), Pregnancy among girls under the age of 20 increased by 65 percent

overall-10year period, from 2000-2010. In 2010, live births by teenage mothers registered with the

NSO were 207,898, compared with 126,025 in 2000. On the other hand, teenage marriages

registered with the agency shows a slow but steady decline from 14.8 percent in 2000 to 13 percent

in 2010 according to the United Nations Population Fund. The 2011 Family Health Survey

revealed that while child birth is slowly decreasing among women in the older age groups, it is
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increasing among girls 15 to 19 years old. From 39 per 1,000 live births in 2066 to 54 in 2011,

across all regions in the Philippines. Researchers have shown that the lack of comprehensive

sexuality education and limited access to adolescent friendly reproductive health services are key

reasons for the high incidence of teen pregnancies.

National Statistic Office administrator Carmelita Ericta said that from 2000 to 2010, the

number of babies born to teenage mothers increased from 7% to 11%. The NSO had recorded 616

girls below 15 years old who had given birth to their first baby in 2000 and another 102,724 from

the age group 15 to 19. Ten years later, the figures have bloated to 1,260 and 174,085, respectively.

Ericta said that the underage marriage during this period went down from12,790 to 8,473.

Life is more often difficult for a teenage mother and child. In view of issues, the researcher

chooses to investigate or make study on the joys and challenges of Teenage Pregnancy in selected

Barangay Community to address the issue raised. This caught the interest and curiosity of the

researcher to work on this kind of are search topic. Teenage Pregnancy is a very common issue in

Brgy. Aplaya, City of Santa Rosa thus, the researcher opted to choose this as the locale of the

study.

Statement of the Problem

The purpose of this study is to describe the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy in Brgy.

Aplaya, City of Santa Rosa in terms of joys and challenges as well as the coping mechanism

utilized in dealing with the problem.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What socioeconomic phenomenon had caused the respondents to experience teenage

pregnancy?
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2. What problems and challenges associated with teenage pregnancy were experienced by the

respondents in relation to:

a. Family

b. School

c. Community

3. What coping mechanisms were utilized by the respondents in dealing with their problems?

4. What sociological proposition maybe used from the lived experiences of the young mothers as

basis for educational policy and/or program development to help minimize teenage mother drop-

outs?

Hypotheses

Ha1: There are many socioeconomic phenomena that caused teenage pregnancy like

family, classmates, friends, social media, and community.

Ha2: There are many problems and challenges associated with teen pregnancy in relation

to family, school and community.

Ha3. Experiences of teenage mothers can help educational managers to formulate programs

to help minimize teenage mother drop-outs.

Conceptual Framework

The study rests on the sociological proposition that teenage pregnancy is a sociological

phenomenon causing serious problems to the concerned individuals, their families, and the society

in general. The study will investigate the joy and challenges experiences of pregnant teenagers to
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develop a program to help them continue with their study. Below is a schematic diagram that

shows how these concepts will be used.

Joys and Challenges of

Teenage Pregnancy
 Semi-Detailed
Interview Educational Programs Proposed Enhance
that help pregnant Educational Program
 Survey
students. for Pregnant Students
Questionnaire
 Observation
Notes

Feedback

Conceptual Paradigm

Research Methodology

The primary objective of this qualitative phenomenological research is to explore and

understand the lived experiences of mothers in their teenage states that each situation or experience

can only be experienced by a single person who has gained new perceptions and insights (Crotty,

1997). The insights from this study may be beneficial to others and is considered as the primary

goal of research (Bryman, 2012). Moreover, phenomenological inquiry is grounded on exploring

and understanding the lived experiences of human beings. This can be achieved by figuring-out

the meaning of the experiences and human being’s lived experiences’ essences (Creswell, 2012).

This phenomenological study was anchored on Sister Callista Roy’s (1980) – Adaptation

Theory. This theory ‘defines adaptation as the process by which an individual or group makes

conscious choices to cope with his or her situation. Adaptive responses increase people's ability

to cope and to achieve their goals including survival, growth, mastery of their lives, and personal

and environmental transformation’. However, Roy's adaptation theory stated that there are four
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distinctive modes: physiologic (basic needs including food, sleep, air, water, and the necessities of

protecting the body); self-concept (beliefs and feelings about self); role identity/function (personal

perspective to the social world); and interdependence (personal relationship towards the whole

organization).

Therefore, a person is an open adaptive system who uses coping skills to deal with

stressors. In line with the study, the ‘person’ represents the teenage mothers. Roy sees the

environment as "all conditions, circumstances, and influences that surround and affect the

development and behavior of the person" (Andrews & Roy, 1991). Environment then may sum up

the challenges of the participants in facing life with pregnancy and motherhood. However, Roy's

goal for nursing is "the promotion of adaptation in each of the four modes, thereby contributing to

the person's health, quality of life, and dying with dignity" (Roy, 1980).

Research Design

This study made use of qualitative research design which is a form of inquiry that focuses

on the way people interpret and make sense of their experiences and the world in which they live.

(Holloway and Wheeler, 2003). The research is engaged in the phenomenological type of

qualitative research. In a phenomenological study, the main data source typically is in depth

conversations, with researcher and informants as coparticipants. Researcher helped informants to

describe lived experiences without leading the discussion. Through in-depth conversations,

researcher will strive to gain entrance into the informant’s world, to have full access to their

experiences as lived. The focus of a phenomenological study according to Palton (1990) lies in the

descriptions of what people experience and how it is that they experience. The goal is to identify

the essence of the shared experience that underlies all the variations in the particular learning
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experience. Essence is viewed as commonalities in the human experiences. Palton’s

phenomenological framework will guide the conduct of the study.

Respondents of the Study

The target participants of the study are teenage mothers aged 13-19 years old who are

currently residing in Bgry Aplaya, City of Santa Rosa. Selection of participants will be obtained

through purposive sampling. The inclusion criteria for this study include: informed consent signed

by both participants and at least one of the biological/legal foster parents; age bracket of 13-18

years old; willingness to share their lived experiences; and their commitment to attend follow-up

dialogues.

Data Gathering Technique

A semi-structured in-depth interview will be facilitated as the main research

instrumentation in gathering the data. However, participants will be given the option if they wish

to be withdrawn anytime to preserve the principle of autonomy and confidentiality. Observations,

use of field notes (personal, transcript and analytical), audio-visual recordings, and qualitative

documents will also be used to supplement the data collection process.

Interviews will be transcribed verbatim in preparation for the data analysis. Coding

techniques and pseudo names will also be utilized to maintain confidentiality. In keeping with the

intended methodology, qualitative content analysis inspired by Collaizi (1978) will be utilized to

explicate the essence of the phenomenon.

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