BIMBO, Edcelle Dominique A. DEVTMAN A52 Topic: To pic: Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines
Teenag enage e preg pregna nanc ncy y is cons consid ider ered ed as one one o !"e !"e alar alarmi ming ng soci social al issu issues es no#aday no#adays. s. Accord According ing !o !"e $N%& $N%&A '$ni!ed '$ni!ed Na!ions Na!ions %und %und or &opula! &opula!ion ion Ac!i(i! Ac!i(i!ies) ies) glo*al s!a!is!ics, s!a!is!ics, #orld#ide, !"ere are o(er + million #omen aged +5-+ years old #"o gi(e *ir!" eac" year, #"ic" is ++/ o !"e !o!al *ir!"s. 5/ o !"ese come rom middle !o lo#-income coun!ries. Dr. Ba*a!unde Oso!ime"in, $N%&A e0ecu!i(e direc!or, i! is no! only a "eal!" issue *u! a de(elopmen! issue as #ell. '21+). Teenage pregnancy may seem as a minor issue *u! i! poses pro*lems and !"rea!s no! only !o !"e !eenage mo!"er, *u! !o !"e socie!y as #ell, !"us !"is issue mus! *e sol(ed and *e gi(en no!ice. One o !"e goals in !"e MD3s includes impro(ing ma!ernal "eal!". Adolescen!s #"o gi(e *ir!" may deal #i!" "eal!" ris4s !"a! may lead !o dea!"s and o!"er disa*ili!ies. In !"e &"ilippines, *e!#een !"e years 2111-21+1 ma!ernal dea!"s dou*led rom 5/ !o +1/. No! only are !"e ma!ernal dea!"s *u! as #ell as !eenage pregnancy ra!es. T"e coun!rys num*ers con!inue !o increase, #"ile o!"er coun!ries decline. '6a"man, 21+). According According !o !"e $N, &"ilippines &"ilippines ran4ed irs! in !"e regional lis! o Asian coun!ries #i!" consis!en! "ig" num*ers o !eenage pregnancy. As repor!ed *y !"e &"ilippine 7!a!is!ical Au!"ori!y, Au!"ori!y, !"e inal resul!s o !"e 21+ Na!ional Na!ional Demograp"ic Demograp"ic and 8eal!" sur(ey s"o# !"a! one in !en %ilipinas aged +5-+ years old are already !eenage mo!"ers. O #"ic" 2/ "a(e !"eir irs! *orn #"ile !"e o!"er 9/ are in !"eir second or more. Da!a also re(ealed !"a! e(ery "our, !eenage mo!"ers are deli(ering appro0ima!ely 2: *a*ies. 'Van der 8or, 21+:).
6ampan! !eenage pregnancy in !"e &"ilippines could *e correla!ed !o educa!ion. In !"e 21+ Na!ional Demograp"ic and 8eal!" sur(ey i! is s!a!ed !"a! !"ere is "ig"er incidence !o !"ose #i!" less educa!ion. &re(alence !o#ards #omen #i!" only elemen!ary educa!ion is ::/ (ersus 2+/ o !"ose #i!" college educa!ion. On !"e 21+ s!udy on ;oung Adul! %er!ili!y and 7e0uali!y ';A%7), a*ou! 5./ o college gradua!es !"in4 !"a! !"eir 4no#ledge on se0 is adequa!e. ;A%7 coordina!or direc!or o !"e $ni(ersi!y o !"e &"ilippines &opula!ion Ins!i!u!e,
/ o !eenage mo!"ers *elong !o poores! quin!ile #"ile +/ *elong !o !"e #eal!"ies! quin!ile. T"us, !"ere is "ig"er pre(alence among !"ose poor "ouse"olds. Ano!"er ac!or is !"e percen!age o !"e you!" ac!i(ely engaging in se0ual ac!i(i!ies. =as! 21+, 2/ o !"e you!" are se0ually ac!i(e. May-I %a*ros rom ?oman8eal!" &"ilippines 'an organi@a!ion promo!ing reproduc!i(e "eal!" rig"!s) s!a!es !"a! ;ou!" !oday are *orn in a space #"ere se0 is so pre(alen!. '21+5). 7ur(ey s"o#s !"a! +/ o !"e you!" aged +9 !o 2: "ad !"eir irs! se0ual ac!i(i!y *eore !"e age o +9. Inluences suc" as peer pressure and alco"ol also con!ri*u!e !o !"e increasing num*er o adolescen!s engaging in se0ual ac!i(i!ies. 8o#e(er, +5/ o #omen aged +5 and *elo# s!a!ed !"a! !"eir irs! se0ual in!erac!ion #as orced. As s!a!ed earlier, !"ere are dangers !"a! come #i!" !eenage pregnancy. Ma!ernal dea!"s con!inue !o increase and !eenage mo!"ers ace socioeconomic pro*lems
a!er#ards. In addi!ion, !"is issue also con!ri*u!es !o !"e &"ilippines popula!ion gro#!" ra!e. Teenage mo!"ers are mos! li4ely !o encoun!er "eal!" ris4s suc" as anemia, "ig" *lood pressure, "yper!ension, preenclampsia, e!c. T"ey are also more li4ely !o suer psyc"ological pro*lems suc" as depression and an0ie!y. In addi!ion, since mos! mo!"ers come rom !"e poor "ouse"olds, !"ere is a lac4 in "eal!" care, especially in pre and pos!na!al care. Teenage pregnancy may also "arm !"e *a*y. According !o !"e ?orld 8eal!" Organi@a!ion, !"e pro*a*ili!y o "a(ing s!ill*orn *a*ies or dea!"s during !"e irs! #ee4 o lie *orn !o mo!"ers aged 21 and *elo# are 51/ "ig"er !"an !"ose *orn !o 2+ years old and a*o(e. T"us, *a*ies *orn !o !eenage mo!"ers are more prone !o "a(ing complica!ions. 7!udies also s"o# !"a! !eenage mo!"ers are more li4ely !o dropou! rom sc"ool. T"us, mos! o !"em ge! delayed and "a(e e#er oppor!uni!ies !o ge! a Co* and earn income. Assessing !"e si!ua!ion o !"e &"ilippines #"en i! comes !o !eenage pregnancy, i! can *e seen !"a! !"e issue is pressing. onsidering !"a! mos! num*ers come rom !"e *o!!om o !"e pyramid, i! increases po(er!y incidence irs!, since !"ey come rom poor amilies, i! #ill *e "ard or !"em !o sus!ain !"e needs o !"eir c"ild !"us, increasing inan! mor!ali!y ra!e as #ellF and second, i! #ill *e "ard or !"em !o loo4 or Co*s since, as s!a!ed earlier mos! o !"em dropou! rom sc"ool. onsidering !"a! !"e &"ilippines is "ea(ily inluenced *y !"e a!"olic c"urc", !eenage pregnancy is e0pec!ed !o *e no! as rampan!. 8o#e(er, !"e pro*lem lie #i!" !"e media, #"ic" s"o#cases se0 G may i! *e in maga@ines, TV s"o#s, mo(ies, songs, e!c.
as i !"eres no!"ing #rong #i!" i!. T"e cul!ure no#adays is !"a! se0 is a normal !"ing or !eenagers, #"ic" e0plains #"y !"e num*er o you!" engaging in premari!al se0 or any o!"er se0ual ac!i(i!ies con!inues !o increase. 3i(en !"is cul!ure, i! can *e said !"a! i! is almos! una(oida*le. 8o#e(er, educa!ion could pre(en! all !"is. As s!a!ed earlier, one o !"e reasons #"y !eenage pregnancy is pre(alen! is *ecause o lac4 o educa!ion. In an in!er(ie# #i!" a !eenage mo!"er, s"e said !"a! s"e and "er *oyriend does no! use condoms *ecause !"ey do no! 4no# "o# !o use i!, s!a!ing “Masakit ata ‘yun?” T"ere s"ould *e sae se0 educa!ion gi(en !o !"e you!" especially !o !"ose in poorer sec!ors. 8o#e(er, se0 educa!ion mus! *e gi(en in !"e rig"! age or s"ould *e age appropria!e. %or e0ample, inorma!ion gi(en !o ++-+ year olds mus! *e appropria!e !o !"eir age. 3i(en !"e s!a!is!ics, !"e 6eproduc!i(e 8eal!" Bill o !"e &"ilippines s"ould ocus on gi(ing educa!ion and promo!ing !"e use o con!racep!i(es among !"e you!" !o pre(en! !eenage pregnancy. T"e se0ual dri(e among !"e you!" !oday canno! *e s!opped, !"us use o con!racep!i(es mus! *e promo!ed #ell. 8o#e(er, i! is no! a(aila*le or e(eryone especially !o !"ose #"o are poor since !"ey canno! aord i!. Also, no! e(eryone is a#are !"a! suc" *ill e0is!s. In one o !"e in!er(ie#s, #"en as4ed a*ou! !"e 68 Bill, !"e in!er(ie#ee s!a!ed, “Di ko alam ‘yun.” ?e canno! solely *lame !"e you!" or !"e !eenage mo!"ers or !"eir ac!ions. ;es, !"ey s"ould !a4e par! in !"e responsi*ili!y, *ecause some"o# i! #as !"eir c"oice. 8o#e(er, lac4 o educa!ion and po(er!y is s!ill !o *lame. By simply spreading a#areness and inorma!ion !"ere is a pro*a*ili!y !"a! !eenage pregnancy could *e lessened.
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