Republic of the Philippines

CARLOS HILADO MEMORIAL STATE COLLEGE

College of Education
GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE GREEN
CULTURE

Chapter 4.4
Reproductive Health, Issues
& Concerns
Teenage Pregnancy
 What is Teenage Pregnancy?

Teenage pregnancy, also known as In well-nourished females,

adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy menarche usually takes place
in females under the age of 20. around the age of 12 or 13.
A female can become pregnant
from sexual intercourse after she has
begun to ovulate, which can be before
her first menstrual period
(menarche) but usually occurs after
the onset of her periods.
 Teenage Pregnancy Among Today's Filipino Youth

Astonishing Facts
1. every hour, 24 babies are delivered by teenage mothers
2. around 14% of Filipino girls aged 15 to 19 are either pregnant for the first time or are already
mothers --- more than twice the rate recorded in 2002
3. among six major economies in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Philippines has
the highest rate of teenage pregnancies and is the only country where the rate is increasing
4. young Filipinos have limited access to sex education and adolescent sexual and reproductive
health services, especially if they are underage and unmarried
5. 78% are not using any form of contraception or protection against sexually transmitted diseases
and infections when they are having sex for the first time
6. alarmingly, teenage maternal deaths are increasing, 10% of pregnant teenagers died in 2013,
according to the Philippine Statistical Authority
7. a high and increasing incidence of fetal death in Filipino mothers under 20
Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage Pregnancy
 Effects of Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a serious issue that may seriously impact

the future of a young woman. Any teen pregnancy will be a
challenge as teens typically lack skills needed to handle a pregnancy
and motherhood.
Patience, maturity and ability to handle stress are required by
pregnant mothers of all ages.

Teenage Pregnancy
A teen pregnancy may also impact the baby. The U.S. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention notes that babies born to teens may
have:
- weaker intellectual development and lower skill set at kindergarten
- ongoing medical issues and behavioral issues
handle a pregnancy and motherhood.

Teenage Pregnancy
 1. Medical complications
Medical complications often occur in pregnant teenagers, according to
the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Teenage Pregnancy
 2. Emotional Crisis

A teenager may suffer an

emotional crisis if she becomes
pregnant and does not want the baby.
This crisis may lead to rash behavior
such as attempting to self-abort the
baby or a suicide attempt.

Teenage Pregnancy
 3. Worries about Future

Uncertainty about the future may arise

when a teen is pregnant:
- teen may feel she does not have enough
knowledge to be a mother
- she may also have fears about how having
a baby will impact her own life and dreams for
the future

Teenage Pregnancy
 4. Delayed Education

Education may be put on hold when a

teen becomes pregnant. Some pregnant
teens may decide to leave high school.
Others who were planning to attend
college in the future may put off that
experience after becoming pregnant.
They may decide to focus on the baby or
getting married rather than pursuing
further education.
Teenage Pregnancy
 5. Exhaustion

Exhaustion may arise during a

pregnancy. A pregnant teen should try to
exercise during the pregnancy; however, if
exhaustion arises it is important to know that
this often a normal part of pregnancy.
Getting the standard 8 hours of sleep every
night (or more) is important.

Teenage Pregnancy
 6. Smoking and Drugs

Smoking and drug use may be

problematic during a teen
pregnancy.
A teen may not have the
willpower to stop using
substances that can harm the
developing baby.

Teenage Pregnancy
 7. Depression

Depression may arise when a teenager is pregnant:

- the teen may fall into a depression while trying to
handle the emotions a pregnancy creates and all of
the possibly negative feedback about the pregnancy
from friends and family
- the fluctuating hormones that a pregnancy creates
may also prompt depression

Teenage Pregnancy
 8. Neglect of Baby
Once their baby is born, teenagers
may not be willing or able to give it the
undivided attention it needs. A teen may
not be an adequate mother because she
is overwhelmed by the constant needs of
the baby. She may grow annoyed at the
lack of freedom to interact with her peer
group due to the baby.

Teenage Pregnancy
 9. Trouble with Finances
Financial difficulty may arise
during a teen pregnancy or after the
baby is born. It is expensive to raise a
baby. Teens who do not have full-time
employment may struggle to cover the
basic expenses of life upon having a
baby.

Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage Pregnancy
Taking the Stigma Out of Adolescent Pregnancy and
Parenthood
What can schools do to intervene?
1. Create a positive school environment.
Schools can develop a moral focus centered on inclusivity of
all persons, regardless of their social identities. Teachers, staff and
school personnel can motivate students by modeling inclusive
behaviors. They can hold regular assemblies to remind students of
these values and recognize those who are a reflection of the moral
focus.
Teenage Pregnancy
 2. Change language.
School staff can practice using more positive terms to describe and
interact with pregnant and parenting adolescents. When talking
directly to parenting adolescents, avoid saying things such as,
“You're a young mother/father,” or “You're a teen mom.” These
phrases can imply judgment about the student's age. Instead, say,
“You're a new parent.” When talking with school staff, avoid a
phrase such as, “She/he is a delinquent.” Instead, say, “She/he is
having difficulty attending class.”

Teenage Pregnancy
 3. Provide an advocate.

It's essential that pregnant and parenting teens have access to a

supportive staff member.
This person can serve as a liaison between teachers, staff, school
personnel and the adolescent themselves. The presence of an advocate
can help equalize power imbalances. It lets pregnant and parenting
adolescents know they are not alone. It can also shift the way teachers,
staff and school personnel interact with youth in a more positive
direction.

Teenage Pregnancy
 4. Create a safe space.

Create a safe space where pregnant and parenting adolescents

can go throughout the school day. They may want to take a mental
break, get a snack or pump breast milk (if they are breastfeeding). It's
also an excellent opportunity for them to talk with other adolescents
who share some common experiences.

Teenage Pregnancy
5. Offer recognition.
Recognition is important for all students. Pregnant and parenting
adolescents might be offered personal or public recognition for perfect
attendance, obtaining a 2.5 or above GPA, or getting accepted to
college. Such steps can encourage pregnant and parenting adolescents
to continue on with their education, and they help change the way others
view these youth.
Teenage Pregnancy
Why do teenagers choose abortions?
Causes and Reasons
- lack of ability to take additional responsibility
- inadequate money to care for the pregnancy-related expenses and
for raising the child
- lack of family support to take care of the mother and the child
• - when the partner refuses to take responsibility; fear and
reluctance to become a single parent
• - pregnancy that is due to rape
• - poor physical health of the girl
• - troubled relationship of the would-be parents

Teenage Pregnancy
 Teenage abortion is a controversial subject
and a pregnant teen considering abortion often finds
herself in a difficult situation where either of her
decisions --- abortion or choosing to give birth, will leave
an everlasting impact on her life. While an abortion may
seem to be the only way out for pregnant teenagers who
do not have financial and family support, the fact remains
that an abortion can leave them emotionally unstable for
a long time, sometimes for life.

Teenage Pregnancy
1 . You’ll probably have more money.
Having a baby now will make it harder to finish school and
get a good, high‐ paying job.
2. You can graduate from high school/college easier.
You’ll have more time to study and won’t have to worry
about missing class to take care of
your baby.

Teenage Pregnancy
3.Your baby will have a better chance of good health.
Studies show that children born to teens have a higher risk of
being born prematurely or
underweight.
4.Your family might get upset.
How would your parents feel if they found out you were
having a baby?

Teenage Pregnancy
5.You will be able to buy the things you want.
You won’t have to worry about buying diapers, clothing, food,
medical care, etc. for your baby.
6. Your relationship may not be ready for a baby.
Having a baby is very stressful and can be hard on
relationships. If you break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend you’ll
have to see each other.

Teenage Pregnancy
7. You might be a better parent later in your life.
Life experiences help us learn to deal with different
situations. As you get older,
you’ll be more likely to handle the stress of having a child.
8. Babies eventually grow up.
Babies don’t stay cute and cuddly for long. Before you know
it you’ll be dealing with the terrible twos and raising a teenager of
your own.

Teenage Pregnancy
9.You will have more options about your future.
It will be easier to go to college, travel or try out different
jobs.
10.You’ll have time to enjoy being a teen.
Take advantage of the freedom you have now. Being a
teenager lasts a moment,
being a parent lasts your whole life.

Teenage Pregnancy
 Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines:
Tips for Pregnant Teens

1. Tell your parents or an adult that

you trust.
While it may be scary, pregnant teens
need to tell their parents or an adult
they trust that they are pregnant.

Teenage Pregnancy
 2. See a doctor.

The expectant teen needs to get checked by

a doctor as soon as possible for proper prenatal
care. She should be prescribed with necessary
vitamins for a healthy pregnancy, and may be
advised to get tested for STD's if needed.

Teenage Pregnancy
 3. Talk to the baby's father.

The father of the pregnant teen's

baby has the right to know that there is
a baby on the way. He may or may not
take the news well. Still, encourage the
mother to do her part by informing him
of the situation.

Teenage Pregnancy
 4. Just hold on.

A pregnant teen should definitely not give

up on herself and her child. Instead, she
should empower herself.

Tell her to just hold on, and remember

that she is now responsible for another
human being. She should focus on being a
strong mom, and draw inspiration from her
child.
Teenage Pregnancy
 5. Find a support system.
Whether it is a counselor, a fellow
expectant woman, her parents, or
someone else whom she can count on, an
expectant teen should find someone to
share her feelings and thoughts with, and
help her cope with the changes
happening in her life.

Teenage Pregnancy
 5 Ways to Help Pregnant Students

1. Education and Prevention

Although it is a sensitive subject
that schools won't touch and others want
to over-mandate, students need to learn
sex education. Teens need this
information. No one needs to preach or
threaten.

Teenage Pregnancy
 2. Connect to Peer Support
As much as you want to help, a pregnant teen may still consider you
not to be trusted. You are separated by age and education. You are part of
the establishment. You dream of having an open, trusting relationship with
every student, hoping they see you as a friend and mentor rather than a
judge, but this is rarely the case with teens.
Fear and hopelessness can lead to bad decisions. Confidence and hope can
carry a teen through this trouble.
A positive group of friends can help her make the right decisions
and move forward. Identify acquaintances that are good for her as
well as those that are not. Do your best to point her toward friends
who will benefit her. Perhaps you know an older student who can
take her under her wing, as well.
Teenage Pregnancy
 3. Promote Male Responsibility

It takes two to tango, yet it is infinitely easier

for the male to escape this situation. He may not
even know for sure if he is the father, while the
mother is becoming more obvious by the day.

Teenage Pregnancy
 4. Be Aware of the Causes
Learning more about the situation in a teen pregnancy is essential. Is she in a
relationship? Is her partner there for her? Was she only having fun and is she now
facing the consequences? Was she forced into it? If you think the pregnancy is a
result of rape, you must act.
Rape victims may show signs of shock, changes in appetite or lack of sleep.
You may see lack of concentration, restlessness, withdrawal or a sudden drop in
school performance. Suicide, drug abuse and self-mutilation can occur. Share
anything you observe or hear with your school counselors or administrators.

Teenage Pregnancy
 5. Promote Proper Health
Knowing how to care for your body when
pregnant is not instinctual behavior. If proper
parental support is absent or if a teen is trying
to hide her condition, the baby may suffer.
Diet, exercise and a healthy state of mind are
essential to delivering a healthy baby.

Teenage Pregnancy
 Chapter 4.5
Reproductive Health, Issues
& Concerns
Responsible Planned
Parenthood
FAMIL Is a relatively permanent
Y group of people related by
ancestry, marriage, or
adoption, who live
together, form an
economic unit and take
care of their young
 😊Functions of the Family and Parental
Responsibility
1. Biological Function
2. Socialization Function
3. Socio-emotional Function
4. Status Function
5. Economic Function
6. Recreational Function
7. Social Control Function
 Biological Function
• The union of a man and woman as agents of procreation.
• The parents would be responsible individuals in sustaining the needs of an
infant towards becoming an individual capable of satisfying their survival
needs.
 Socialization Function
• The family being responsible in the process that teaches individuals to
become functioning human beings who must fit into a number of groups
and to be productive member ofsociety.
• The parents would be capable in guiding and nurturing an individual to be
able to live by the expectations of the society and be able to effectively
interact with other people.
 Socio-emotional Function
• The family is an individual resort for emotional support.
• The parents would be able to provide guidance and quality time for
emtional comfort and relief and to the attainment of an individuals
emotional maturity.
 Status Function
• The family make up/ status will be assumed by every member being born
into it.
• The parents would uphoid dignified lives that the children could also live
their lives with dignity and respect.
 Economic Function
• The family as an economic unit, catering the needs of every members and
resorting to ways as to ensure that those needs are being addressed.
• The parents would ensure that the basic needs of everywill be addressed
and that their future are being secured.
 Recreational Function
• The family serves as the foundation by which an individual derives the
concept of fun, play, and leisure activities.
• Parents could look into promoting wholesome recreational activities that
could strengthen the bond of the family and be of guidance to the children
as they venture into recreational with themselves or with peers.
 Social Control Function
• The family as responsible in enforcing policies and regulations that limits
an individual engaging in excessive behaviors or activities that might be
harmful and or unfavorable to the child or to others.
• Parents would ensure that discipline is adhered upon by the children.
 😅Perspectives on Responsible Planned
Parenthood
A.Church Perspective
• The church teaches the necessity of responsible parenthood for married
couples.
• Parents in the exercise of responsible parenthood, need to plan their
families.Relying on God's providence they wiil use teir God-given minds to
plan and decide on the number of children they will be get.
• Parents must consider the physical, economic, psychological and
social conditions in which they find themselves.
• Responsible parenthood will also be exercised in the choice of the
means to implement their (the couples) decisions on the methods,
morally allowance by the law of God ( natural family planning
methods except coitus interruptus)
• In making decisions, parents must consider their own good and
the good of their children children already born or yet to come, as
well as the good of thee family, of society and of the church, and
their responsibility to God.
B. State perspective
• Having the desired number of children and when couples want to
have them by using safe and effective modern methods ( DOH )
• proper birth spacing is having children 3 to 5 years apart, which is
best for the health of the mother, her child, and family.
 A. Natural Family Planning Methods
A way of spacing births by taking advantage of
the natural rhythms of fertility and infertility of
the woman
Couple engage in the conjugal act only during
the infertile period of the woman, while they
avoid doing the full conjugal act when she is in
her
Responsible fertile
Planned Parenthood period.
Rhythm/
Calendar
method
Basal body
temperature
 Cervical Mucus Examination
 change in the cervical mucus during ovulation is the
basis for this method (watery mucus facilitates the
movement of the sperm towards the egg; thick
mucus impedes the delivery of the sperm towards
fertilizing the egg)
Could be used along with calendar method, and
basal body temperature (symptothermal method)
Responsible Planned Parenthood
Teenage Pregnancy
Egg white cervical mucus: fertile
Watery cervical mucus: fertile
Creamy cervical mucus: non-fertile
Sticky cervical mucus: non-fertile
 Coitus Interruptus

One of the oldest methods that prevents conception

Couple still goes on with coitus, but the man
withdraws the moment he ejaculates to emit the
spermatozoa outside of the female reproductive
organ

Responsible Planned Parenthood

Other ways of limiting births like abortion,
sterilization and contraception are taught
by the Catholic Church to be contrary to
God’s law.
 B. Artificial Family Planning Methods
 Methods used in birth control (DOH)
-Chemical
- Mechanical
- Surgical

Responsible Planned Parenthood

Hormonal Pills
 Subdermal Implants

• Subdermal implants are two rod-like implants

inserted under the skin of the female during her
menses or on the seventh day of her menstruation to
make sure that she will not get pregnant. The
implants are made with etonogestrel, desogestrel, and
progestin and can be helpful for three to five years.

Responsible Planned Parenthood

Injectibles
Intrauterine Device (IUD)
Condom
Tubal
Ligation
Vasectomy
 Is it right to use or
promote the use
of
contraceptives?

Image from: pinterest.com

Responsible Planned Parenthood
Three Assertions following Holy See
Document:
Certain contraceptives have an abortifacient effect

Certain contraceptives have adverse secondary

effects

Certain contraceptives have long-time sterilizing

effects
The church forbids contraception
because it is morally wrong
It is against the natural
law
 METHODS ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE

Calendar method -No need for devices nor -Couples could never be 100%
surgery sure when ovulation is going to
happen

Coitus Interruptus -Couple could still goes -presence of ejaculation fluid

on with intercourse with spermatozoa may cause
fertilization
METHODS ADVANTAGE DISADVANTAGE
Intrauterine -Could be effective for -Couples could
device (IUD) 5-7 years and could be never be 100% sure
removed if couples when ovulation is
desire to be pregant going to happen

Condom -Safe method if used

correctly
-Helps to prevent
infection
 METHODS ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Contraceptive Pill -Very effective as -Others experienced

long as the pills are side-effects such as
taken at the right nausea
time

Sterilisation -Extremely sure with -Irreversibility of the

(Permanent no side effects process
Ligation,
Vasectomy)
 Reporters:
Cabigon, Freddie
Coquilla, Romelette
Dagos, Bernadette
Hormillosa, Jul Errol
Martinez, Garry O.
Tisado, Sheryl