Teenage pregnancy affects the physical and spiritual aspects due to lack of awareness.

Teenage pregnancy is a global reproductive health problem that affects teenagers, families and
communities, both in developed and developing countries, as children being underage , unmarried and
still at school, become pregnant with or without father. Teen pregnancies carry extra health risks to both
the mother and the baby. Often, teens don't get prenatal care soon enough, which can lead to problems
later on. They have a higher risk for pregnancy-related health-risk and its complications. Risks for the
baby include premature birth and a low birth weight. Teenage pregnancy can be defined as pregnancy
that occurs in young girls below the age of twenty, regardless of whether they are married or adult age.
Teenage pregnancy has been increasing at an alarming rate especially in our country Philippines. It has
become a of global concern because it not only affects the teenager and her family, but the society in
general. An Increase in teenage pregnancy will in the end, lead to increased child poverty as well as
degradation of the child’s well-being. Pregnant adolescents are less likely to complete higher education
and have lesser ability to earn more income over the course of a lifetime, causing economic losses to the
country.

One of the major causes of teen pregnancy is absence of affectionate supervision from parents
or guardians. In the current society, parents are either too busy or too permissive. Apart from the
provision of basic needs, parents and guardians are not involved in emotional stability of the girl
child.Another major cause of teenage pregnancy is peer pressure. As children grow to teenage hood,
there is increased pressure to fit into certain peer groups. The peers may then push a teenager girl into
having sex in order to fit well in their group and society’s expectations. In addition to this, the modern
society allows the teenagers to have a lot of time and space with the opposite sex on their own, which
results to instances of pregnancy at teenage hood. Other factors key to this concept is sexual abuse as
well as the use of drugs and alcohol. Teenagers are exposed to alcohol and drugs making them lose
control over their sexuality when drunk thus leading to pregnancies. Sexual abuse on the other hand
occurs when the girls go for sex for pleasure without understanding the sexual impact. It is also evident
when an adult sexually victimizes a teenage girl or a minor.

Lack of sex education in schools to teenage girls has also contributed to increased teen
pregnancy. This is because it leads to the indulgent in sexual activities without understanding the possible
effects. It is therefore important to let girls understand issues surrounding sex and their sexuality as well
as the possible impacts. Educating the youth about sexual and reproductive health, even in non-formal
education settings, and normalizing respectful dialogue on the topic. providing rights-based measures to
help pregnant girls and young mothers continue and finish their education.

To address the lack of sex education and extremely young age of consent is vital for more young
women to have the life they deserve. Currently, lawmakers are lobbying to increase the age of consent,
but we the people should be more vocal in holding these lawmakers accountable, so they won’t keep on
pushing this issue to the back burner. As for the lack of sex education, there must be an active push to
normalize talk about sex. Misconceptions on how sex education encourages the youth to engage in
premarital sex should be debunked as the lack of sex education leads to more uninformed choices with
undesirable consequences. Teenage pregnancy will not be an issue, someone will finally be there to hold
her hand, and not let it be her downfall.