1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and Rationale

Teenage pregnancy is a global issue raising concerns for all who are interested in the health

and well-being of young women and their children. It carries major health and social issues with

unique medical and psychosocial consequences for both adolescents and society in general.

According to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), teenage pregnancy is defined as a

pregnancy in girls within the ages of 13–19.1 It is a global problem and creates issues for all

those concerned about young women and their children’s health and well-being.2 Annually,

about 21 million girls aged from 15 to 19 years in developing regions become pregnant.3

Around half of these pregnancies were unintended, and more than half ended in abortion, often

in unsafe conditions.

Teenage pregnancy should be one of the main issues in every healthcare system since early

pregnancy can have harmful long-lasting implications on girls’ physical, psychological,

economic and social status8 and it is a concern from both human rights and public health

perspectives.9 It is also a media-focal-point and a major issue irrespective of the teenager’s

marital status.

The Philippines passed the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (RH

Act) after a 14-year wait. Through the act, the government integrated sex education into the

public school curriculum for students ages 10 to 19. The Philippines also gave funding for free

or subsidized contraceptives at health centers and public schools.

The government passed the RH Act in response to the many health issues impacting the

country, such as infant mortality, pregnancy-related deaths and a rise in HIV/AIDS cases.

Moreover, teen pregnancies in the Philippines are common, where 9% of women between the
ages of 15 and 19 start child bearing.

Lack of knowledge about reproductive health is significantly associated with poverty, especially

in regard to overpopulation. Therefore, the RH Act aims to help the population make informed

decisions about their reproductive health. It provides more equal access to sex education, while

also ensuring that the government reaffirms its commitment to protecting women’s

reproductive rights, providing accessible family planning information, and hiring skilled

maternal health professionals to work in both urban and rural areas of the Philippines.

Pregnancy is a wonderful gift in the life of a woman as she enjoys every moment of holding

her own child. In addition, it brings joyful feeling and positive atmosphere among her close

relatives. However, early pregnancy is considered as a pandemic and a burden to the underage

child, her family and the world. Arthur Campbell stated that, “The girl who has an illegitimate child

at the age of 16 suddenly has 90 percent of her life’s script written for her” (Hoffman &
Maynard,).

Besides, the National Research Council Report has shown that underage mothers have a

higher chance of social and economic detriment in their lives (Hoffman & Maynard). In another

way early pregnancy is a pandemic, which leads to negative impact on teen mothers, their

children, and the family members. Collectively, it causes a negative impact on the society. In

order to promote the well-being of child and reduce the negative effects associated with the

teenage motherhood, it is important to have proper guidelines and procedures to minimize the

rate of early pregnancies.Teenage pregnancy has become a global problem .Most countries in

the world are going through this problem with questions on how they can control and prevent this

teenage pregnancy from continuing .This problem is being faced by developing and developed

country. On the other side there is a problem of gender equality where females are fighting for

their rights of having equal chances of job opportunities and representations as male gender

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while teenage pregnancy is a block to majority of young teenagers who are becoming pregnant at

primary level and secondary level which kill their dream of filling the gaps that they are seeing

vacant and wishing to represent ladies in international levels and national levels but because of

teenage pregnancy which affect their performance in schools is the major hindrance to the

educational success of girls in developing countries .Teenage pregnancy is affecting teenagers

socially and academically not forgetting healthwise. Pregnancy issue is one of the most crucial

aspects of human existence in life are considered as school failure as well as the family

abandonment of young girl and their academic performance was getting poor and poor because

of loss of motivation and the challenges that they gothrough while pregnant. This made me to

be more interested in the effects of teenage pregnancy in the academic performance.

This study reveals that most teenage mothers are not active in class compared to the other

peers because of fatigue this leads to the poor performance at the end of the term. This girls

miss classes and hence miss a lot in class. Mostly have observed several teenagers who have

been performing well before falling pregnant but after pregnancy, their performance drop of

which most of them fail to join education. . Cunningham and boult stated that early pregnancy

has many social effects such as interrupted schooling or school dropout, abortion,

criminal activities, school adjustment challenges, negative impact on domestic life, lack of

social security and child neglect.

In addition, teenage pregnancy occuring in a young girl, it is a social problem in which adult

practices and functions ( Sexual intercourse, reproduction, mothering ) are displayed by a person

who, owing to her age and development Status. Pregnancies are result of sexual activities either

voluntary or not. One of the most traumatic and devastating effects on teenage pregnancy is

making it difficult for the girl to continue with her education.

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 According to Quist-Adade (2017, p.11), when a young girl is impregnated, chances that she will

continue with education are usually slim. In some of the schools in Africa, for instance, stigma

starts with top leadership. The principal or headmaster may send the learner home without

having to identify the person that impregnated her and whether the sexual activity that led to the

teenage pregnancy was forced or consensual. Quist-Adade (2017, p.13) states that the

victimisation of pregnant female learners forces them out of school. Other than pregnancy-

related issues, some of the learners develop a negative attitude to schooling after birth, further

eliminating their educational goals. Another significant impact of teenage pregnancy on

education is that it lowers academic performance for the affected learners. Maemeko,

Nkengbeza, and Chokomosi (2018, p.90) claim that in most cases, the academic performance of

adolescent mothers that opt to continue with their schooling lowers significantly. Wall-Wieler,

Roos, and Nickel (2016) support Maemeko, Nkengbeza, and Chokomosi’s (2018, p.90) argument

by stating that when a young learner gives birth, she is forced to balance between taking care of

her child and her education. In most cases, her academic performance is affected negatively, as

evidenced by her poor grades. Consistent poor

grades in schools may also force the young girls to give up with their education and pursue

early marriages.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

This study will seek to determine how student mother's cope with their situation towards thier
studies and as well as child rearing. More specifically, what are the problems they have
encountered in studying while nurturing their child at home. The study also seeks to find the
coping strategy used by student mother's in their circumstances. Specifically, this study all seek
to answer the following questions:

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1. What are the factors affecting of teenage pregnancy among of senior high school? Interms of
families income and educational attainment.

2. What are the academic achievement of Sr. High School students during the first quarter.

1.3 Objective of the Study

1.3.1 General Objectives

This study will seek to determine to find out the effects of teenage pregnancy among
Matangad National High School Students.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

Specially, this study will seek to find out the factors of teenage pregnancy, interms of

To determine the family income

To determine the education attainment

1.4. Significance of the Study

The result of the study is hoped to contribute and encourage teenage mothers'involvement
the impact to their lives.The research believes that the result of the study can have several uses
to the following:

To the students. They will gain deeper understanding about the reality of student mother's and
most importantly for them to learn about the experiences of student mother's.

To the parents. This study will also benefit the parents to enable them to realize their great role
in educating their teenagers, protecting and diverting them from indulging early sex especially if
without marriage. They must be aware too of what kind of peers their teenagers have.

To the teachers.This study will also benefit the teachers for they could be informed how
important is education to the development of children to manhood. This enables them to guide
and identify the major causes of teenage pregnancy especially in our school. Then and there they
would intensify their functions to counter those causes by diversity the interest of teenage in

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engaging early sex and if ever teenagers are already fall of indulging sex both boys and girls,
then contraceptives will play on this to prevent teenage pregnancy.

To the administration and staff. This study will also benefit school administrators. It would
provide them information of the importance of knowing the major factors behind early pregnancy
and the possible effects on educational development of teenagers. It’s one way that
administrators will intensify sex education on their school.The researcher hoped that the result of
this study would also be a great help to future researchers and to all people who are interested to
know more about teenage pregnancy on their causes and the possible effects on their
educational development.

To the future researchers. This study will broaden their knowledge about the experiences of
student mother's and also awareness.

1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The respondents in this study are the Senior High School student mother.

The data gathering was within this month of October. The selection of students

was anchored on teenage mother.

The study is limited to investigate the impact of teenage pregnancy on their

academic performance.The study covered teen pregnancy, childrearing, family

income, and educational attainment.

1.6 Definition of Terms

For better understanding of the terminologies, the following were

conceptually and operationally defined:

Economic Status– means family income, parental educational level,

parental occupation, and social status community.

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 Educational Development– is the possible trend, progress on their school

performance of students or out-of-school youth/teenagers who have been

pregnant.

Effect of teenage pregnancy– means a result brought about by premarital

sex at the age of 13 to 19 years old in relation to her educational development.

Out-of-school youth – are youth aged 13 – 19 who are not in school and who are

unemployed, underemployed, or lacking basic skills.

Peers of teenagers – means were teenagers having an age of 13 to 19

who is equal to another in abilities, qualification, age, background, and social

status.

Sex Education – means learning the external conditions such as

psychological, sociological, economic and social factors that affect the

personality, behavior and development of a boy to manhood and fatherhood and

a girl to motherhood as well as with human reproduction.

Teenage Pregnancy -means conception by a girl between the ages of

twelve (12) and nineteen (19) year old which was not planned for.

Single parenthood–is a term that is mostly used to suggest that one parent 

has most of the day to day responsibility in the raising of the child or children.

an illegitimate child – born of parents who are not married to each other;

born out of wedlock

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 Sexual intercourse– sexual union especially involving penetration of the

vagina by the penis

Reproduction– implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

Mothering– the nurturing of an infant or small child by its mother.

Lack of Parental Guidance – Self-esteem, self-discipline, ambition, and

emotional development are stunted without parental guidance and involvement,

affecting an individual's decision-making capabilities and self-identity far beyond

childhood.

Traumatic - psychologically or emotionally stressful in a way that can lead

to serious mental and emotional problems

Reproductive rights - are a class of human rights associated with

reproductive health and autonomy. They may include the right to plan a

family, use birth control, receive sex education in public schools, end a

pregnancy, and gain access to reproductive health services. The legal contours

of these rights vary widely across the world.