On HIV and teenage pregnancies
The recent increase in teenage pregnancies and HIV incidences show that there is an urgent need for a more aggressive campaign on reproductive health in Davao City. Why? Let me count the ways.
The 2017 NDHS (National Demographic Health Survey) showed that the Davao Region has the highest teenage pregnancy rate --- between the 10-19 year olds. The survey recorded a total of 16,279 with Compostela Valley having 2,916, Davao del Norte (3,423), Davao del Sur (2,179), Davao City (4,762), Davao Oriental (1,662) and Davao Occidental (1,337).
In the same year the Davao City Health Office also reported that there are 32 HIV cases every single day. If there are 30 days that means 930 HIV cases in a month and 11,160 in a year. If that is not an epidemic then I don’t know what that is.
HIV has no vaccine and it has no cure. It is only detectable two to four weeks after infection and can only be done by a blood test. However, it is preventable and so far, the best shield (pun, intended) against it would be the use of condoms and yes, reproductive health education.
Pregnancy can be accurately detected until the week after the woman has missed her period. Unwanted pregnancy can be prevented by various reproductive methods and (again) through reproductive health education.
The youngest HIV case is that of a 13-year old girl and the youngest pregnancy is around the same age, 15 years old. Being the dinosaur that I am, I can recall I was either mastering the high leaps for Chinese garter or getting lost in the latest Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books at that time. Sex and sexual relations were nowhere near my daily agenda. But recent figures indicate that times have exceedingly changed. The village streets no longer showcase tumbalata, piko, shatung, or Chinese garter matches. Books have been submerged by YouTube and various play applications.
So it is about time for parents, kith and kin to educate the young about reproductive health. No need to fear the hail of fire and brimstone proselytized by those at the pulpit. After all, when pregnancy or HIV does happen, they wouldn’t be giving out diapers, infant formula, vaccines, or retroviral drugs. It is SPMC, DSWD and DOH who does that in Davao City. And believe me, if the fire and brimstone should rain in torrents upon thousands of licentious heathens, it would still be SPMC, BFP, PSCC, DSWD in their frayed orange vests who would first heed the call for help not those in wellpressed white cassocks or barongs.