Early pregnancy is one of the pressing issues Filipino youths are facing today.

I noticed in our
society that a lot of young women are pregnant. I also know some of my friends and
acquaintances that got pregnant first before they finish their studies. based on my observation,
young women with some primary education and those from the poorest households are more
likely to have begun childbearing than young women with higher education levels and those
from the wealthiest households. A lot of minors are still not yet open and educated when it
comes to sex. how to practice safe sex, what are the contraceptives and what are the risks of
involving in a sexual intercourse. I also noticed that not just the teenage pregnancy rising, but
also adult pregnancies are surging during this time of COVID-19 pandemic.
Teenage pregnancies and teenage motherhood are a cause for concern worldwide. It is
considered as an ethical dilemma, because teenage pregnancies are nothing new in the historical
context. It was normal for girls to marry in their late teens and have their first child in their
second decade during much of human history, however, in recent times preventing young
pregnancies and teenage motherhood is now a public health priority in practically all developed
and developing nations. According to a study by (Hodgkinson et al., 2014), adolescent moms
experience high amounts of stress, which can lead to mental health issues, teenage mothers also
have higher rates of suicidal ideation than their peers who aren’t mothers. Teen mothers are more
likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than other teenage women, as well,
which is why preventing young pregnancies and teenage motherhood is now a public health
priority in practically all developed and developing nations. Teen pregnancy not only influence a
young mother's mental health, but it also impacts other elements of their life. That is why we
think it is critical to assess how well your well-being first before trying to bring another person
into the world.

References:
Kirchengast, S. (2016, October 26). Teenage Pregnancies: A Worldwide Social and Medical

Problem. IntechOpen. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from

https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/52475

Nall, R. M. (2016, September 19). What Are the Effects of Teenage Pregnancy? Healthline.

Retrieved December 15, 2021, from

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/teenage-pregnancy-effects#outlook
Hodgkinson, S. (2014, January 1). Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Pregnant and

Parenting Adolescents. American Academy of Pediatrics.

https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/133/1/114/68415/Addressing-the-

Mental-Health-Needs-of-Pregnant-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Comprehensive Sexuality Education: A Must in School Curriculum. (2019, July 7). GOVPH.

Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://rpo10.popcom.gov.ph/comprehensive-

sexuality-education-a-must-in-school-curriculum/

Early pregnancy is one of the pressing issues Filipino youths are facing today. It is
considered as an ethical dilemma, because teenage pregnancies are nothing new in the historical
context. It was normal for girls to marry in their late teens and have their first child in their
second decade during much of human history, however, in recent times preventing young
pregnancies and teenage motherhood is now a public health priority in practically all developed
and developing nations.
Based on our observations, young women with some primary education and those from
the poorest households are more likely to begun childbearing than young women with higher
education levels and those from the wealthier households. We could chalk it up to the lack of sex
education, there are minors who are not yet open and educated when it comes to sex; how to
practice safe sex, what are the contraceptives and the risks involved in an unsafe sexual
intercourse.
Sex education in the Philippines isn’t as helpful as it seems, especially since the only
things we learned there are about the reproductive system, genders, etc. And we believe it’s
because people tend to think that sex is a taboo that we shouldn’t talk about. “The Young
Adolescent Fertility Research”, a 2015 study done by the University of the Philippines
Population Institute says that while teenagers express an interest in learning general information
about sex, with more females than males expressing an interest in learning about contraception,
the same survey also reveals that young people would rather consult their friends than their
parents when they have reproductive health problems or concerns, necessitating the need for a
comprehensive intervention not only by government agencies but by all sectors of society.