Popcom says teenage pregnancy in Philippines still alarming

Sheila Crisostomo (The Philippine Star) - April 10, 2019 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Five years since the constitutionality of the Responsible Parenthood and
Reproductive Health (RPRH) law was upheld by the Supreme Court (SC), the Philippines is still
grappling with a high number of teenage pregnancy cases, according to the Commission on
Population (Popcom).

The country’s teenage pregnancy had declined to 47 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-19 based
on the 2017 National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS), Popcom National Capital Region director
Lydio Español said.

“We’re happy to note that teenage pregnancy is decreasing. In the 2017 NDHS, it was 47, down from
57 (in 2013). Most of those having teenage pregnancy are in rural areas,” Español said in a recent
interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s One News.

Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines chair Elizabeth Angsioco, however, clarified that
while the figures have declined, the “actual number” of teenage women getting pregnant remains
high.

“There are serious problems on the ground, really. We should still be alarmed because if you
consider the absolute number, the growth of the population in those years, then I would even say
there might be more of our girls getting pregnant,” Angsioco said.

DOH: Risk of death high among pregnant teenagers

AA

LAUREN ALIMONDO

July 12, 2018

TEENAGERS who get pregnant between the age of 10 to 19 years old have a higher risk of dying, a
health official said.
Doctor Virginia Narciso, Department of Health (DOH)-Cordillera Child and Adolescent Health
Development Cluster head, said teenage pregnancy maternal mortality is two to five times more
than adults and cited sex abstinence as the best intervention for teenagers who get pregnant.

In the Philippines, DOH study shows 22 percent maternal deaths are common among mothers aged
15 to 24 years old while 20 percent of those who deliver at 15 to 17 years will be pregnant again in
two years.

Children of teen moms have neonatal death rate three times higher, premature of 14 percent
compared to the six percent among neonatal births to women 25 to 29 years old.

“For teenage moms, they have to prevent second and third pregnancy because there is a higher risk
of dying on the part of mothers, risk of dying on their babies,” Narciso said.

Narciso also advocates on the use of contraceptives which can prevent early pregnancy and
transmission of sexually transmitted infections like HIV.

“For teenage mothers, they have to avail of the adolescent friendly services for their babies such as
immunization, newborn screening, proper care for their newborn babies, and regular checkup,”
added Narciso.

In the Cordillera region, the youngest teenage mother was 10 years old who got pregnant because
she was raped by her uncle.

Philippine Statistics Authority-Cordillera data release on 2018 shows the region had the least
percentage of women 15 to 19 years old who begun childbearing with 3.5 percent compared to
Davao region with the highest record of 17.9 percent.
Aside from maternal death among teenage moms, teenage pregnancy risk to health associate with
hypertension, poor weight gain, anemia, sexually transmitted disease, miscarriage, multiple births,
and placenta complications.

Unplanned pregnancy results to abortion, threatens the life of the mother, teenage depression and
suicide. Higher rate of abuse and neglect, developmental delay, behavioral disorder and academic
difficulties are also experienced by teenage mothers.

Social risk for early teenage pregnancy indicates social stigma still exist for unmarried teen moms.
Delays of education and reduces economic potential and parenting ability.

For economic risk, young mothers with less economic support from parents lead to poor nutrition
and health care for both the mother and child. Support from the father is also minimal.

Emotional risk, if marriage is force on pregnant adolescent has a higher probability of ending failure.

Benguet Provincial Social Welfare Development Officer Juana Bannawe mentioned social preventive
measures for teenage pregnancy are being undertaken in the province such as strengthening the
guidance of parents among their children.

Banawe cited major cause of teenage pregnancy is poverty, no funds for contraception, exploitation,
drugs, alcohol and lack of religious affiliation.

Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines

1. Teenage Pregnancy Reporter: Sean Clark Luinor A. Labastida IV-Bohr Caraga Regional Science High
School “Children having children…”

2. True or False? True True True True True True 1. Teen mothers are twice as likely to die in
childbirth. 2. A child born to a teen mother is twice as likely to die before the age of one. 3. Teen
mothers are twice as likely not to finish high school. 4. One-half of all welfare payments go to
families with teen mothers. 5. 20% of teen mothers are pregnant again before two years. 7. Most
teen pregnancies happen by mistake – they were not planned.

3. False False False False True 8. If a girl gets pregnant a guy does not need to worry about it if he
does not like the girl. 9. If a guy does not have a regular job, he will not be responsible for child
support. 10. If a couple breaks up after the girl is pregnant, the guy has no responsibility for the
child. 11. It's a girl's fault if she gets pregnant. It's not the guy's problem. 12. The divorce rate is
greater for couples with a pre-marital pregnancy than for those who conceive after marriage. True
or False?

4. About 16 million girls aged 15-19 years give birth annually. 90% of them are in developing
countries. The characteristics of young mothers : -Little education, -Rural dwelling, -Low income.
Source: Growing up global: The Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries (National
Research Council, 2005).

5. Socio-economic deprivation: both a cause & consequence of adolescent pregnancy Teenage

Pregnancy Loss of educational & employment opportunities Poverty

6. More than 1/5 of women in the poorest regions have a child by age 18. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
West Asia & North Africa South America Carribean & Central America South, Central & South East
Asia Eastern & Southern Africa Western & Middle Africa Source: Tabulations of demographic &
health surveys from 51 countries,1990-2001. (National Research Council, Growing up global: The
Changing Transitions to Adulthood in Developing Countries, 2005). Percentage of teenage pregnancy

7. In 2009: • 192, 500 live births In 2010 • live births by teenage mothers registered with the NSO
were 207,898, compared with 126,025 in 2000. UNFPA 2011 annual report • 53 births per 1,000
women aged between 15 and 19 • 1/5 of the country’s population belongs to the 15 to 24 years old
brackets or 16.5 million youngsters in 2000 and by 2030 it would reach 30 million. • 30% of all births
belong to the 15 to 19 year age group and by the time they become 20, 25% of them are already
mother. Cases in the Philippines

8. According to Young Adolescent Fertility survey in 2002 •In the Cordillera, – 13.9% of the girls have
premarital sex with the mean age of 18 – 92.3% of these girls have sex with their boyfriends or their
“ka-on”. – 43.8% did not plan to have a sexual experience but such happened anyway while25% of
those who have sex at said age for the first time did not want to do it but went along with it.

9. Causes of Teenage Pregnancy • curiosity or experimentation • peer pressure • family-related

problems • lack of information • the influence of liberal views on sex.

10. Risks for the Teen Mother • Less likely to complete high school • Dependence on welfare • Single
parenthood • More likely to have more children sooner on a limited income • More likely to abuse
or neglect the child
11. Risks of Teenage Pregnancy • malnutrition • inadequate prenatal care • abortion • fetal deaths •
cervical cancer National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened to
Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC: Author.

12. Risks for the Baby Source: Maynard, R.A., (ed.), Kids Having Kids: A Robin Hood Foundation
Special Report on the Costs of Adolescent Childbearing, New York: Robin Hood Foundation, 1996. •
growing up without a father • low birth weight and premature • school failure • mental retardation
• insufficient health care • abuse and neglect • poverty and welfare dependence

13. How to prevent teenage pregnancy? 1. Keep them at home with an intact family set up. 2. Keep
them in school. 3. Keep talking to them. 4. Keep them morally and spiritually grounded.

14. Mass media •Provide information & education •Promote individual responsibility & protective
norms •Provide health services & products Schools Health services Civil Society (Community
Organizations)

15. An example • “This shouldn’t have happened,” she says, adding that she is not ready for the
responsibility of being a parent. • doesn’t know what she wants in life at all • dropped out of school
• started to have boyfriends at age of 9 • still staying with her parents and three siblings. Jasmin, 14

16. What if…

17. “Patience is a virtue.” “Prevention is better than cure.”

18. Be responsible for every action you make. “Do not be blind by what you saw. Do not be deaf by
what you heard. Do not be fooled by what you want. Do not be dumb by what you feel. Think.
Resist. Say ‘no’. Stand still.”

Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

• curiosity or experimentation

• peer pressure

• family-related problems

• lack of information...

Risks of Teenage Pregnancy

• malnutrition
• inadequate prenatal care

• abortion

• fetal deaths

• cervical cancer

National ...