A 13-year-old girl who got pregnant and was helped by Save the Children Philippines to stand up for herself and not let others belittle her (Photo: Ariane Rea Berliso/ Save the Children)
By UCA News reporter
Mar 4 2024
PHILIPPINES – A global child rights organization has urged the government to curb early and unintended pregnancies among teenagers in the Philippines, which has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Asia.
Save the Children Philippines drew attention to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recording 3,135 cases of adolescent pregnancies among young girls aged 10-14 in 2022, which was a 35 percent increase from the 2,320 cases recorded in 2021.
The organization said this was an “alarming trend” and called on the government and families “to join forces in educating children about their rights and reproductive health.”
The PSA has noted a concerning upward trend in teenage pregnancies under the age of 15 since 2017, it said in a Mar 1 statement ahead of International Women’s Day.
Save the Children’s Technical Adviser for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Shebana Alqaseer called upon the government to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services and strengthen health systems to safeguard the safety and well-being of children.
“Additionally, we encourage parents to engage in open and healthy conversations with their children about sexuality and reproductive health to empower them to make informed choices,” she added.
Josie, a mother from the Eastern Visayas region in the central Philippines, told UCA News that though late, she realizes the importance of positive parenting in caring for her young child.
Her 11-year-old daughter became a victim of sexual abuse by her landlord’s teenage son recently.
“Looking back, I realize the significance of equipping my child with the tools to understand consent and having open dialogue,” she said.
Save the Children maintained that the rising prevalence of adolescent pregnancy among Filipinos, which is now regarded as a national problem, cannot be traced to a single cause.
“Rather, it is the result of a combination of biological, social, and cultural factors,” it said.
Among the factors cited by the group are “early sexual debut, limited access to comprehensive sex information and education, and inadequate communication skills among parents, whom adolescents identify as one of their preferred sources of information regarding sexual reproductive health.”
To help minimize the impact of teenage pregnancy the group has launched the “Healthy, Empowered, and Responsible Teens” or “Heart to Heart” program to help mothers and caregivers improve their communication skills to teach sexuality and reproductive health. – UCA News
