The resumption of face-to-face (F-to-F) classes and increased mobility among the youth could threaten the gains in preventing adolescent pregnancy during the pandemic, according to the Commission on Population and Development (Popcom).
Popcom said the Philippines can’t afford to let its guard down in terms of arresting teenage pregnancy. Data from the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) showed
the proportion of young women 15 to 19 years old who have begun childbearing sharply declined to 6.8 percent in 2021 from 13.7 percent in 2013.
This was based on the results of the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFS5), considered as the most comprehensive research on sexual and fertility status as well as behaviors of young Filipinos.
“We should not let our guards down, as they gradually return to their normal activities. It should give us more resolve to strengthen and sustain our efforts in providing age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education and information, as well as access to reproductive health services among adolescents, which we deem will sustain, or further accelerate, the decline in adolescent pregnancy percentages,” Popcom Officer-in-Charge Executive Director Lolito R. Tacardon said.
Popcom said despite the significant slide in teen pregnancy and childbearing figures across the Philippines, more than half of the regions posted higher rates than the national average.
The Davao and Bangsamoro Regions, for instance, listed 13.6 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Further, among those who have ever been pregnant in Eastern Visayas, about half were currently expecting during the time of the survey.
Tacardon also said the latest data by the Civil Registry and Vital Statistics (CRVS) registered a high number of live births among minors, most specifically among 10 to 14 years old.
“Their condition still requires collective attention from concerned authorities, especially national agencies and local government units, which can influence and reverse the alarming statistics,” Tacardon said.
The interim Popcom chief also sought for sustained and intensified monitoring among stakeholders, as F-to-F classes steadily resume nationwide.
These, he said, will re-facilitate young peoples’ movements and more physical interactions, thus leading to increased chances of intimate encounters.
Meanwhile, Tacardon said he is also concerned about the UPPI’s findings that the country’s youth are in their “worse mental shape today.”
Based on the data, Tacardon said the rate of those who often felt depressive symptoms during the reference week “substantially increased from 2013 to 2021.”
“The increasing suicide tendencies among young people should not be taken for granted, as this is a serious threat to their wellbeing. Such calls for more concrete interventions on mental health and psychological development both in schools and communities,” Tacardon said.
Popcom is the country’s lead organization in population development for well-planned and empowered Filipino families and communities.
It aims to empower Filipino individuals, families and communities by enabling them to achieve their fertility intentions, prevent adolescent pregnancies, and consciously consider population factors in sustainable development initiatives. -30-