A Teenage Pregnancy Awareness: A Beginning

of Something New
By: Glendel Marie G. Sinoy

‘’It's about time we make the well-being of our young people more important than
ideology and politics. As a country, we benefit from investing in their future by investing
in teen pregnancy prevention.’’ This quote was said to be from Jane Fonda. Teenage
Pregnancy is one of the alarming issues that is currently happening not just in the
Philippines but worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 16
million girls aging between 15 and 19 years and about one million girls younger than 15
years give birth every year. Nowadays, teenage pregnancy occur in different countries
especially in the poor and middle class countries such as the Philippines. Teenage
pregnancy affects about 6% of Filipino girls. It is the second highest rate in Southeast
Asia based on Save the Children’s Global Childhood Report from 2019. An estimated
538 babies are born to Filipino teenage mothers EVERY SINGLE DAY, according to the
Philippine Statistical Authority from 2017. There are a lot of reasons why teenage
pregnancy is very rampant and relevant in the Philippines, it includes the poor health
service, lack of sex education to teenagers, peer and family issues, and sexual
violence. It is not a secret that there are some children out there who are forced to do
sexual act at a very young age that affected their mental, emotional, spiritual and
physical health. Due to them still being a child, their body is still not fully develop and
prepared enough to carry a child inside their womb which result to some major related
complications of the mother and her child. Teenage pregnancy is the biggest problem
women and girls face in the Philippines. Through the eyes of every children, there is a
story to tell on why and how it happened. There are a lot of factors contributing to it,
there are a lot of unsaid words that are just light whispers to the ears for some
individuals. Most girls who are experiencing teenage pregnancy are usually coming
from lower income households, as statistically adolescent girls from higher income
households are at lower risk for experiencing a teenage pregnancy. These girls are
already struggling financially due to the situation they were born into, a victim of a lack
of quality education due to the inherently flawed public school system, now add a child
into the mix. A child they had no choice but to carry to term because abortion is still
illegal in the Philippines. Having a child so young could rob these adolescents of a
better future instead it leads them and their family to more poverty. Due to them losing
opportunities and hope of a better future they’re likely to drop out of school which leads
to having no diploma thus being immediately disadvantaged when applying for jobs in
the corporate world. They might resort to illegal means, such as prostitution and drug
pushing just to make ends meet, and it is a struggle, close to nearly impossible, to see
the light at the end of the tunnel as the cycle of poverty repeats itself once again. It’s not
only the parents’ lights who dim, but also the child’s. As teenagers, sex may not be a
good topic to start with our parents, the silence are always awkward and inevitable to
our ears but the fear of “discussing sex” results in the lack of quality information in
sexual education which could lead to misinformation and misunderstanding. Globally,
teenage pregnancy is a significant challenge adversely affecting the physical and
psychological health of the teen.

Teenage pregnancy has long been a worldwide social, economic and educational
concern for the developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Research shows
that causes of adolescent pregnancy are rooted in the interplay of many factors. In
particular, family, peer, community, and societal influence are among the major reasons
for early pregnancy of adolescent girls. Economic and situational circumstances also
discourage young women from early pregnancy due to the perceived consequences of
childbearing. Other precursors of early parenthood include the presence or lack of
formal schooling, parental supervision and involvement, aggressive behavior and
substance abuse, and knowledge of oral contraception. There are so many solutions
that can help in resolving such issues like teenage pregnancy. One of this is by giving
young children the education that they deserve. Education plays a crucial role in order
for the teenagers to build themselves and respond to their needs. If teenagers have
enough knowledge about sex and pregnancy, they would easikly identify the
consequences that they would be put to once they engage in those type of activity early
on their lives. Communication with adults also help young teenagers to prevent early
birth. Being connected with their parents allows teenagers to easily ask questions that
only adults could give them the answers. Developing a community based approach
which utilizes school sex education integrated with parent, church, and community
groups, increasing teenage knowledge of contraception through the help oh his/her
community is also a great help in preventing teenage pregnancy. Through it, teenagers
are able to gain informations and knowledge about the use of contraceptive and sex.

Sex Education is a must in a person’s life. Knowledge is power - and disrupting the
current cycle of ignorance with comprehensive sex education disrupts the global
hegemony and paves the way for a future of autonomy, equality, and self-determination
for marginalized groups around the world. It helps young adults to gain information and
knowledge in which they could use in their day to day life. Sex education empowers
young people to make informed decisions about their bodies and their choices, which
collectively result in lower rates of unplanned pregnancy, lower rates of sexuality
transmitted infections, delays in sexual debut, and increases in protective behaviors
including condom use, contraception use, and resource identification. It also makes
people safer. There are a lot of agencies that seeks to help girls and teenagers to
prevent teenage pregnancy. Some of this agencies are doing programs that teaches
young girls and boys on how to use contraceptive pills or birth control pills and
condoms. Their programs also aims to inform this teenagers the effects to once they
engage to early pregnancy or unsafe sex. We often hear the word pills and condoms
either from adults or in the internet, we only have few knowledge and information about
it, the only thing that we know is that condoms is one of the things that prevents
unwanted pregnancy, it is used by couples who are still not yet ready to conceive a child
but did you know that condoms are also used not just to avoid unwanted pregnancy but
also STD’s or sexually transmitted diseases that can lead to death if not cured
immediately. Condoms serve as barriers between bodies. They prevent pregnancy by
catching ejaculate (semen) so sperm can’t enter your partner’s uterus. Condoms lower
STD risk by stopping or greatly reducing people’s exchange of bodily fluids. Male
condoms have a 98% effectiveness rate and when used correctly, is a very safe method
of contraception. The male condom is widely available. While, The pill is a tiny oral
medication a woman can take at the same time each day to prevent pregnancy. Also
called an oral contraceptive, the pill can help make periods more regular and less
heavy. Some birth control pills can also help clear up acne.
If your partner uses the pill perfectly, it's 99% effective. But nobody's perfect, so the
actual effectiveness is closer to 93% effective. That means about 7 people out of 100
pill users get pregnant each year.

Another way to reduce teenage pregnancy is by having a good communication

between the parents and their child, the improved ability of adolescents and their
parents to openly discuss interpersonal aspects of sexuality and sexual behavior is a
major step in increasing responsible sexual decision-making among adolescents. It is
not surprising that positive communication between adolescents and their parents or
caregivers has many benefits. Strong parent-child communication∗ promotes
adolescents’ self-esteem and prevents risky behaviors, including substance use,
delinquency, and sexual risk taking. Research has shown that by providing accurate
information and creating open lines of communication, parents increase their children’s
adoption of safer behaviors, such as delaying sexual initiation and increasing the use of
condoms and other contraceptives. Out-of-home youth (e.g., youth in foster care) also
need help to establish connections with caring trusted adults who can provide guidance
during adolescence. Caregiver-child communication is particularly important for out-of-
home youth because they are especially vulnerable and at greater risk of having poor
adult outcomes, like unemployment and high school incompletion. Because many
parents and caregivers are the primary sexuality educators for their children, boosting
their confidence and equipping them with the appropriate resources to discuss sexuality
can help in those important conversations. Encouraging adolescents to talk to their
parents about sensitive issues is also important. According to reserach, about 87% of
adolescents say that it would be easier for them to postpone sexual activity and avoid
pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these
topics with their parents. With regards to their decisions about sex, adolescents say that
their parents or their own morals, values, and religious beliefs are greater influences
than their friends, popular culture, teachers, and sex educators.The positive effects of
parent-child communication on sexual behaviors has been found among multiple
racial/ethnic groups and low-income populations. However, the effects are greater when
adolescents and parents feel connected to one another and when parents can discuss
sexuality in a comfortable manner. Adolescents whose parents clearly express their
values and beliefs, including those who communicate strong disapproval of sexual
activity or unprotected sex, are more likely to avoid risky sexual behaviors. Timing is
important. Communication before sexual initiation is associated with delayed initiation,
fewer sexual partners, and increased use of condoms and other contraceptives.
 For most teenagers, the real consequences of having a child at such a young age
are unknown. Teens need to be aware of the harsh reality of raising a baby and the
negative effects that an unplanned pregnancy can cause in both the mother and the
child's lives. In the article "The Decline of Teen Marriage Is a Serious Problem," Patrick
F. Fagan talks about the effects of having a child out of wedlock at a very young age.
He states that the mother's new offspring can experience the following: "Lowered health
for newborns and increased risk of early infant death; Retarded cognitive, especially
verbal, development; Lowered educational achievement; Lowered job attainment:
Increased behavior problems; Lowered impulse control; Warped social development;
Increased Welfare dependency". No one wants to become a parent when they are a
teenager. Teenagers are not able to get a decent education, and some teens don’t
know what they want to do with their lives. Teens don’t want to stay home and take care
of a child. Yes, a baby is really cute and all, but teenagers really need to think about
what they are getting themselves into. There are many of things that teenagers have to
give up one is by having a child at a young age, when they are a child themselves.
Teens should think about what they are doing before they accidently become teenage
mother. And it is the responsibility not only of a parent but of other adults to assist a
child so that she will not be pregnant early. Teachers or relatives can be the ones to
guide the teenager so that she can withstand her problems and refrain from being
pregnant at an early age. Teen pregnancy is a long road. You will most likely end up
walking that road by yourself most of the way. If you do get pregnant, take responsibility
for your actions. In other words, teenagers are not prepared enough in building their
own family, they are still children who needs guidance and supports along the way in
their life. They have so many dreams that they want to fulfill achieve but due to early
pregnancy, it hinders everything that they want to achieve in their life because they
have to prioritize more about the health and safety of their newborn who is also a child.
Early on, children must be taught and should be prioritize by the government for they
are the future who will continue the legacy of each Filipinos.

References

Parent-Child Communication - HHS.govhttps://teenpregnancy.acf.hhs.gov › resource-

files PDF

Teenage Pregnancy and Its Associated Factors in Eastern

...https://www.dovepress.com › teenage-pregnancy-and-it...

https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/contraception-birth.html#:~:text=The%20birth%20control
%20pill%20does,always%20prevents%20pregnancy%20and%20STDs

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/9404-condoms

https://health.unl.edu/you-asked-we-answered-how-effective-are-birth-control-and-
condoms
World Health Organization-Maternal and Newborn Nutrition and Health

https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/events/2008/mdg5/nutrition.pdf