TEENAGE PREGNANCY: IT’S CAUSES AND EFFECTS

A Project Submitted to Ma’am Helene H. Zamora of Moreno Integrated School,

Daet, Camarines Norte

Rhanie Mel R. Reyes Harold Eldrin O. Zabala

Ysmin Rose C. Reantazo Eleasha B. Baracena
Mark Montano

Grade-11 Generous
Moreno Integrated School
2020
 INTRODUCTION

“Youth is the hope of our Mother Land,” said our national hero Dr. P. Rizal.
The next generation of people is in their hands. However, as we can see from the
current scenario, what we expect from out youth is the polar opposite of what we
expect from them. Teenagers are known for their proclivity for conceiving. The
number of pregnant teenagers rises rapidly almost every year.

Young people are far more 'sexual' and sexuality involved than they have ever
been, and there is a widespread belief that unless anything is done, the age at which
young people have sex will continue to decline. Teenage pregnancy is thought to be
the result of early sexual activity. This issue of teenage pregnancy in our
contemporary society has been considered an epidemic endemic in nature, which
constitutes social problem that should requires social action for amelioration. Moreso,
this study focuses on effect of teenage pregnancy on educational attainment of youth,
Because, the rate of youngster (students) especially female dropping out of school has
been on the increase. And having considered the political, socio-economic and socio-
cultural effects. It should be a matter of concern to individual parents, teacher,
churches, mosque, non-government organization (NGOs) ang groups.

Teenage pregnancy in the Philippines, as calculated by the proportion of women

who have started childbearing in their teen years, has been steadily increasing over a
35-year period, according to results from cumulative years of the National
Demographic and Health Survey and the most recent result of the 2011 Family
Health Survey. The majority of these teen mothers are poor, live in rural areas, and
have a low educational attainment. However, this study finds a growing proportion of
adolescents who are not poor, have a better education, who live in urban areas, and
who have started having children in their teens. The younger age at menarche,
premarital sexual activity at a young age, the increase in cohabiting unions in this
age group, and the potential decrease in the stigma of out-of-wedlock pregnancy are
all factors that could contribute to this development.

Except in the Philippines, teen pregnancy rates have decreased in the Asia Pacific
Region over the last two decades. Despite the Philippine government's efforts to pass
legislation and enforce programs related to reproductive health, the troubling situation
persists. This paper examines how teenage mothers perceive and appreciate adolescent
sexuality, intimate relationships, and motherhood using feminist philosophy and photo-
elicitation. The author provides a complex view of the previously developed analyses
on the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines by capturing
these domains from the viewpoint of teenage mothers and situating it at the
community level.
I
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, praise and thanks to God, the almighty, for His showers of
blessing throughout our research work to complete the research successfully. I would
like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to my research teacher Mrs. Helene
Zamora for her active guidance throughout the competitions of this project that who
gave me the golden opportunity.
To do this wonder project on the topic (Teenage Pregnancy: Cause and Effect),
which also helped us in closing a hot of research and I came to know about so
many new things I am really thankful in them. I would also like to thank my family
and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing this project within the limited time
frame.
I am extremely thankful to many group Ysmin Rose Reantazo, Harold Eldrin
Zabala, Eleasha Baracena and also Mark Montano for providing me necessary
technical suggestions during our research present.

RESEARCH PROBLEM
Pregnancies among teenagers and teenage motherhood are a source of worry
around the world. Teenage births are nothing new in the historical context. For much
of human history, it was unavoidable for girls to marry in their late teens and have
their first child in their second decade. This type of reproductive activity was socially
acceptable and often encouraged. However, nowadays, preventing adolescent pregnancy
and teenage motherhood is a public health issue in almost all developed and
emerging countries. What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? The causes of teenage
pregnancy are: Lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights,
Inadequate access to services tailored to young people, Family, community and social
pressure to marry, Sexual violence, Child, early and forced marriage, which can both
a cause and a consequence, and Lack of education or dropping out of school.
In developed countries, approximately 90% of births of girls aged 15-19 occur
during early marriage, where there is often an inequality in dominance, little access to
contraceptives, and pressure on girls to show their fertility. Factors such as parental
income and a girl's educational attainment also play a role. Girls with a low level of
education are five times more likely than those with a higher level of education to
become mothers. Pregnant girls also drop out of school, limiting potential job
prospects and perpetuating the poverty cycle. Pregnancy is also seen as a better
choice for girls than completing their studies. Furthermore, the particular dangers that
girls encounter during crises raise their odds of being pregnant. The inability to
compensate for the loss of an infant, a lack of information and contraceptives, and an
uptick in sexual harassment are all factors.
 How does teenage pregnancy affect girls? Adolescent pregnancy continues to be a
significant cause of maternal and infant mortality. Pregnancy and childbirth
complications are the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19. Owing to their
young bodies, pregnant girls and teenagers face additional health threats and
complications. Babies born to mothers who are younger are also at a higher risk.
Pregnancy and reproduction are neither expected nor desired by many teenagers.
Adolescents who live in countries where abortion is illegal or severely limited are
more likely to engage in risky abortions, placing their health and lives at risk. In
developed countries, about 3.9 million girls aged 15 to 19 are subjected to illegal
abortions each year. Pregnancy of adolescent girls may have negative social and
economic consequences for the girls, their families, and their societies. Unmarried
pregnant teenagers can face shame, rejection, and threats of violence from their
parents and peers. Girls who become pregnant by the age of 18 are even more likely
to be subjected to domestic abuse.

PURPOSE OF STUDY

The study’s aim was to learn more about the issues of teenage pregnancy
among Philippines youth. It will look at the risk factors that lead to teenage
pregnancy. Also, to pursue steps to reduce the threat to the bare minimum in our
society, especially in Philippines. Pregnant schoolgirls come from all socioeconomic
backgrounds, all races, and all parts of the world. Often adolescents are confronted
with the issue of unintended pregnancy and parenthood. Parents, society and nation,
as well as the rest of the world, are all affected in some way by their decisions, and
their choices will have significant implications for the future of their communities,
countries, and the rest of the world. Teenage pregnancy can occur for a variety of
reasons that differ from country to country. Several causes of adolescent pregnancy
have been identified in both developing and developing countries, including a lack of
reproductive sexual health education and records, sexual harassment that leads to rape,
poverty, and low educational expectations and goals.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page Page
INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………. I
ACKNOWLEGDEMENT…………………………………………………. II
RESEARCH PROBLEM…………………………………………………. III
PURPOSE OF STUDY ……...…………………………………………... IV

CHAPTER I
Statement Of The Problem ……………………………………………… 1
Scope And Delimitation ………………………………………………….. 1
Significance Of The Study ………………………………………………..2
Definition Of Terms……………………………………………………...
References ………………………………………………………………… 2

CHAPTER II
Review Of Related Literature……………………………………………….
Literature
Related Studies
Conceptual framework
Theoretical Framework
Definition Of Terms
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Problem: Teenage pregnancy has been identified as a problem for teenagers, their
families, and society. However, there is a lack of research into teenager’s attitude
toward pregnancy and sexual health.

Sub-Topics:
a) What are the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy?

b) How does teenage mothers bullied?

c) What factors contributed to early teenage pregnancy?

d) How can teenage pregnancies be stopped or minimized?

e) What some of the struggles that teenage mothers faces?

f) How can we prevent teenage pregnancy?

g) What is the impact of teenage pregnancy in school?

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study is focused on the extent of major causes of teenage pregnancy which
are family, peers, community, and church involvement, with the educational
development of students in Mercedes, Camarines Norte. While some teenage
pregnancies are planned, the majority and unplanned and result in a slew of negative
consequences for the teen mother, her child, and other family members and peers.
 This study is limited to the teenager who experience. Who have been pregnant at
the age of 13-17 years old and living in, Mercedes Camarines Norte the subject
where drawn to the students who have been pregnant and or have been a student on
their teenager days and living in Mercedes Camarines Norte. Teenage mothers often
lack the means to care for an infant, and they are often unable to maintain healthy
behaviors during pregnancy in order to give birth to a healthy baby. These young
women also do not complete their schooling, setting in motion a never-ending cycle
in which their child will become a teenage parent as well.
1
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Parents would be willing to accept the improvements in terms of enjoying the
fruits of their womb and labor so there would be no further untimely withdrawal from
education, less health risks among youths (female teens), less industrial loss, less
personality decline.
The school administration will be proud of their academic standards and a steady
stream of quality and enviable goods would emerge from the school. In addition, the
government will be relieved of the burden of ineffective and wasteful spending on
family planning facilities, chemotherapeutic medications and supplies, abortion laws and
rules, sex education, and other similar programs.
The research will also help students who are already in school because it will
provide them with knowledge about the causes of teenage pregnancy and the potential
impact of pregnancy on their studies.

The research would also help out-of-school teenagers by raising awareness about
not getting pregnant in their teens, which will increase their chances of returning to
school or enrolling in an ALS (Alternative Learning System) for those who have not
completed high school.

This research would also benefit teachers because it will remind them about the
importance of education in the transformation of children into men. Then and there,
they would intensify their functions to counter those causes by diversity The interest
of teenagers in engaging early sex, and if teenagers are already falling into the trap
of indulging sex, both boys and girls, contraceptives will play a role in preventing
teenage pregnancy.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

For clear understanding of this study the following are defined operationally, and
conceptually.
Teenage Pregnancy - Teenage pregnancy, also known as  adolescent pregnancy, is
pregnancy  in a female under the age of 20.  Pregnancy  can occur with sexual
intercourse after the start of ovulation, which can be before the first menstrual period
(menarche) but usually occurs after the onset of periods.
Menstrual Period - Menstruation, or  period, is normal vaginal  bleeding  that occurs as
part of a woman's monthly  cycle. Every month, your body prepares for pregnancy. If
no pregnancy occurs, the uterus, or womb, sheds its lining. The  menstrual blood  is
partly  blood  and partly tissue from inside the uterus.
Abortion - Abortion  is the termination of a pregnancy before the infant can survive
outside the uterus.
Womb -  The  womb  is where a fetus (unborn baby) develops and grows.
Infant - An infant is the more formal or specialized synonym for the common term
baby, meaning the very young offspring of human beings. The term may also be
used to refer to juveniles of other organisms. A newborn is, in colloquial use, an
infant who is only hours, days, or up to one month old. 
Teenage/Adolescent Mother - are women between the ages of 11 and 19 who
become pregnant and  parent  their children.
Sexual Harassment - is a behavior. It is defined as unwelcome behavior of a  sexual
nature. It is unwelcome behavior of a  sexual  nature that if allowed to continue could
create a QUID PRO QUO and / or a Hostile Work Environment for the recipient. For
example, unwelcome  sexual  comments, jokes, innuendoes.
Proclivity - a tendency to choose or do something regularly; an inclination or
predisposition toward a particular thing.
Childbearing - the process of giving birth to children.
Sexuality -  is about your  sexual  feelings, thoughts, attractions and behaviours towards
other people. You can find other people physically, sexually or emotionally attractive,
and all those things are a part of your  sexuality.  Sexuality  is diverse and personal,
and it is an important part of who you are.
Premarital Sexual Activity - is any  sexual activity  with an opposite  sex  partner or
with same  sex  partner before he / she has started a marriage  life  [3]. The term is
usually used to refer the  intercourse  before a marriage.  Sexual activities  among young
people have been increasing worldwide.
Menarche - is the first menstrual cycle, or first menstrual bleeding, in female
humans. From both social and medical perspectives, it is often considered the central
event of female puberty, as it signals the possibility of fertility. Girls experience
menarche at different ages.
 REFERENCES
Natividad, N., (May 2013). Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines: Trends, Correlates and
Data Sources Diliman, Quezon City: JAFES.
https://synapse.koreamed.org/upload/APAMedCentralData/Data/PDFData/0020JAFES/jafes-
28-30.pdf
Villianueva S., (2010) The Effects of Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines.
https://study.com>blog>teenagepregnancy.com
1Barbara M., (2009) Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines,
https://teenagepregnancybehavior.com
Reyes R., Johnson K. (2013) Causes of Teenage Pregnancy,
https://causesofteenagepregnancy.com
Walker J., (2000) The struggle of Teenage Mothers, https://teenagemother.com
Gilbert S., McClermon C. (2004) Bullied Teenage Mother,
https://teenagemotherbullied.com

Joemer C. Maravilla, Kim S. Betts, Rosa Alati. (January 2019). Exploring the Risk of
Repeated Pregnancy Among Adolescents and Young Women in the Philippines.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-018-02721-0
Dieudonne H. Jenae Logan. Rex Wong. (March 2019). Risk Factors for Pregnancies Among
Females Age 15 to 19 in Rwanda: A Secondary Data Analysis of the 2014/2015 Rwanda
Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS). https://doi.org/10.5430/jms.v10n2p49
Durrani, Riddi, Nielsen Armada. (2019). I've become hopeful again: A qualitative study of
how the work of NGOs can be beneficial for teenage mothers in the Philippines.
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1368454&dswid=-7862
Arceli H. Rosario, Maria C. Domocmat, Shorena Oniashvili. (2016). Still a Teen, Already a
Mother: Understanding the Teen Motherhood Phenomenon Through Photovoice.
https://journals.aiias.edu/info/article/view/97
Bernice Kuang, Brienna Perelli-Harris, Sabu Padmadas. (January 2019). The unexpected rise
of cohabitation in the Philippines: evidence of socioeconomic disadvantage or a second
demographic transition?.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17441730.2018.1560664
https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/save-children-calls-passage-teenage-pregnancy-bill-
world-celebrates-international#:~:text=Teenage%20pregnancy%20affects
%205.99%20percent,Philippine%20Statistical%20Authority%20(2017).
https://nursinganswers.net/essays/teenage-pregnancy-study-philippines-4836.php
https://plan-international.org/sexual-health/teenage-pregnancy
https://plan-international.org/sexual-health/teenage-pregnancy
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2016/10/risks-
of-teen-pregnancy
 CHAPTER II
Review of Related Literature
This chapter shows the relevant literature and studies that the researcher tells that the
teenagers are the hope of our mother land. It also presents the synthesis to completely
understand the whole research to be a basis of incoming researchers.

Teenage Pregnancy
according to Philippine Statistical Authority (2017), An estimated 538 babies are
born to Filipino teenage mothers every single day. They said that teenage pregnancy
affects 5.99 percent of Filipino girls which is the second highest rate in Southeast Asia
based on Save the Children’s Global Childhood Report (2019). “Early pregnancy forces
girls to take on an adult role while their bodies are often not ready,” said by Atty. Alberto
Muyot.

Moreover, the teenage pregnancy study in the Philippines states that the
Philippines’ teenage pregnancy rate has increased by 60% in the year 2000- 2010, according
to the Philippine National Statistics Office. This is very alarming. Teenage pregnancy often
occurs between the ages of 15-19 years old, often in this age the girls are still studying.

With early pregnancy the girls usually have to abandon their education to give birth or
raise their child. Girls who become pregnant are expelled from school especially in a Catholic
School like Lourdes College because it goes against the moral teachings of the school thus
delaying the chance of earning a degree that will help them in providing for their child.
Education becomes a lesser priority and is often delayed until they are able to leave the
children at home are financially stable. But there are girls who are studying as well as taking
care of their child and they are who we call Student Mothers. The burdens for these girls have
double as to they have to take care of school as well as their child at home.

Causes of teenage pregnancy

The plan teenage pregnancy plan international says that the main causes of teenage
pregnancy are lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights,
Inadequate access to services tailored to young people, Family, community and social
pressure to marry. Sexual violence. It also states that child, early and forced marriage, which
can be both a cause and a consequence.
Effects encountered of being teenage parents

An article also shows some effects of teenage pregnancy; If a pregnancy is unplanned,

the mother may not be getting the prenatal care she and her baby need or may not even be
healthy enough to carry a child to term, Teens are often unprepared for the realities involved
in parenting an infant. Often, complex relationships and financial burden combined with
balancing school and parenting are stressful and can put a newborn at risk. Teens who are
pregnant or raising a baby have a hard time finishing school. Only 3 percent of teens who
have a baby receive their college diploma before the age of 30. Many teen parents are single.
Being a single parent can have financial and emotional stressors and a stressed parent puts a
baby at risk. Parents often need resources to help them navigate their child’s well-being and
development. Teens may not be aware of this type of assistance.

It was clearly states that there are factors why a teenage pregnancy happens. It also
shows that teenage pregnancy not only occurs depends on a children but mostly depends on
its surroundings. It was stressed out that some of the reasons why a schoolgirl become a teen
parents because of the factors that may affects its daily life. One of the possible reasons
behind this was the lack of attention by their parents which affects its social life as an
individual. This contents was supported by different researches on teenage pregnancy and by
the causes and risk of teenage pregnancy.
 Conceptual Framewok

cause and effect of teenage

pregnancy

Struggles that teenage mother

experienced

Teenage Pregnancy
(Dependent variable)

Impact of teenage pregnancy

to school

Factors may leads to teenage

pregnancy
Theoretical Framework

financial and emotional

preparedness

Teenage pregnancy

Stress
Definition of terms

Teenage Pregnancy - Teenage pregnancy, also known as  adolescent pregnancy, is

pregnancy  in a female under the age of 20.  Pregnancy  can occur with sexual
intercourse after the start of ovulation, which can be before the first menstrual period
(menarche) but usually occurs after the onset of periods.
Unprepared - not ready or able to deal with something.
Stressor - something that causes a state of strain or tense