NGO raises alarm on rise in adolescent pregnancies

Save the Children is alarmed by the 35-percent increase in pregnancies among children age 10-14 in the Philippines. In an effort to address this trend, the child rights organization calls on families and the government to join forces in educating children about their rights and reproductive health.In 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) documented 3,135 cases of adolescent pregnancies, showing a 35-percent increase from the cases recorded in 2021. PSA has noted a concerning upward trend in teenage pregnancies under the age of 15 since 2017. The Philippines continues to have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Asia.

As International Women’s Day approaches, Save the Children Philippines hopes to draw attention to early and unintended pregnancies among very young girls.

Save the Children Philippines is helping mothers and caregivers learn to communicate with adolescent children on lessons of sexuality and reproductive health through “Healthy, Empowered and Responsible Teens (Heart)” or “Heart to Heart” program implemented in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

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The rising prevalence of adolescent pregnancy, 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. These factors contribute to adolescent sexuality and reproductive health issues:

1. early sexual debut;
2. limited access to comprehensive sex information and education;
3. inadequate communication skills among parents, whom adolescents identify as one of their preferred sources of information regarding sexual reproductive health;
4. lack of access to family planning services;
5. cultural practices that encourage early union; and
6. absence of adolescent sexuality and reproductive health policies and its full implementation.