Teenage pregnancies in R-10 ‘alarming’
NORTHERN Mindanao stands as one of the leading regions in the country with an alarming rate of teenage pregnancy, according to the Regional Population Commission (POPCOM-10), hinting that `deeper understanding’ on the matter and awareness about sexual participation are its main thrust in addressing the problem.
The dramatic increase of teenage pregnancy in the region was found out through the `Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study 2013’ by the Demographic Research and Development Foundation Incorporated of the University of the Philippines (UP) which is referenced by POPCOM-X in their community interventions and programs.
“This is the most recent study available as it is not conducted every year. The study’s data is from 20022013 and studied subjects
aged 15-19 years old,” said Ardizon Arsua, Information Officer II for POPCOM-10.
The study revealed that in the span of years between 2002 to 2013, sexual participation of youth and teenage pregnancy has dramatically increased.
It said that “lack of access to useful information on the matter of sex” could be blamed as many of the youth in Region 10 has engaged in risky sex and has become pregnant before reaching the age of 20.
“The [study] points out that the rate of females who have begun to bear children at fifteen years old is 1.4%. At 16 there is 1.6 and at 17 there is 6.1%. It increases so much among the 18 years old at 26.1% and by 19 years old, 51.4%. That is over half of the total population at nineteen years old,” Arsua said.
Moreover, the study suggests that there is an increasing proportion of youth who have engaged in sex before reaching the age of 18. There is about 26.1% among the male teenage population and 21% among the female teenage population who admitted to have had sex before 18 years old.
Arsua added that nine out of ten teenagers in Region 10 who engages in premarital sex have confessed to not using any forms of protection while having sex.
Also, with regards to the nature of relationships among teenagers who engage in sex, about 4.8% have casual sex and 2.5% admits to have the ‘fucking buddy or FUBU’ relationship.
Region 10 teenagers also ranked the first on the survey of media related sexual activities.
The percentage of teenagers who engage in phone sex is at 10.1 being the highest in the country. At 4.5%, Region 10 is also on top among the youth for engaging in sex with people they met online or only through text messages.
“It is worst really worst. We are hoping that through the programs and interventions that we are making we can combat this so that in the next survey,we will have better results on this matter for Northern Mindanao,” Arsua said.
Better communication between parents and their adolescents however is seen as the best solution to address this rising number of teenage pregnancy and adolescent sex here in the Region.
Arsua explained that even with all the interventions of the different offices to the youth, the parents still remain as the best teachers on the matter.
“Parents should make sure that they have oriented their adolescents about sex. Because if the parents do not know how to explain it or gets angry when their children asks about it, then the teenagers would go to their barkadas. Who knows what those barkadas would teach them?,” Arsua said.