ILOILO – Pregnancy can lead to devastating health consequences for young girls. Many adolescents are not yet physically ready for pregnancy or childbirth, and are therefore more vulnerable to complications.
Data from the province’s 42 municipalities and the component city of Pass showed a declining trend in teenage pregnancy cases, according to the Provincial Population Office (PPO).
Of the 22,652 total number of births in 2018, 2,158 or 9.53 percent were by teenaged mothers 19 years old and below.
According to PPO chief Ramon Yee, in 2017 of the 22,478 total number of births, 2,221 or 9.88 percent were by teenaged mothers.
In 2016 on the other hand, of the 23,945 total number of births, 2,583 or 10.4 percent were by teenaged mothers, Yee revealed.
“Government intervention” through local government units, he said, made the decline possible with the help of the church, communities and other stakeholders.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), adolescent pregnancy is generally not the result of a deliberate choice – these girls often have little say over decisions affecting their lives. Rather, early pregnancy is a consequence of little or no access to school, information or health care.
Tens of thousands of adolescents die annually of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, according to UNFP. In fact, these are the leading cause of death among adolescent girls, aged 15-19, globally.
Health problems are even more likely if a girl becomes pregnant too soon after reaching puberty, according to UNPF. In low- and middle-income countries, the risk of maternal death for girls under age 15 is higher than for women in their 20s. These girls also face health risks such as obstetric fistula, and their babies face greater risks as well.
Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious and tragic childbirth injuries, according to UNPF. A hole between the birth canal and bladder and/or rectum, it is caused by prolonged, obstructed labor without access to timely, high-quality medical treatment. It leaves women leaking urine, feces or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation and deepening poverty.
Yee said the Iloilo provincial government has been campaigning for responsible parenthood and safe sex in a bid to check the country’s population growth.
The most ideal is having zero teenage pregnancy cases, he stressed.
The lives of young mothers and their babies are at risk in teenage pregnancy cases, he said, because the reproductive system of teenage girls is not ready for pregnancy yet.
“We do not want to put their lives at risk,” stressed Yee.
The PPO, Yee said, is campaigning that teenagers not engage in sex at an early age through. It conducts symposiums on this in schools and local government-operated teen centers.
The youngest teenage mother the PPO recorded was 13 years old; she gave birth in 2017, said Yee.
The other teenage pregnancy cases were as follows:
* 14 years old – six
* 15 years old – 39
* 16 years old – 109
* 17 years old – 279
Lack of parental supervision and social media may have contributed to the teenage pregnancy problem, said Yee.
He reminded youngsters to focus on long-term goals such as finishing school and landing good jobs.
“Early pregnancy can hinder youngsters from achieving their goals…it puts at risk the future of young people,” added Yee.
The World Health Organization considers adolescent pregnancies a global problem. When a girl becomes pregnant, her life can change radically. Her education may end and her job prospects diminish. She becomes more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, and her health often suffers.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), while General Fertility (GF) among Filipino women has significantly decreased since 1970, Age Specific Fertility Rates (ASFR) of adolescents has changed little.
The 2017 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) places adolescent ASFR at 47 live births per 1,000 women 15 to19 years old, up from 57 in the 2013 NDHS.
According to the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study (YAFSS) 4, data showed that in the Philippines, an increasing proportion of adolescents and young people have early sexual encounters.
In 2013, one in three young people report having premarital sex. The prevalence of early sexual encounters has increased over the last 20 years. Males are more likely to report having premarital sex than females.
In 2013, 36 percent of males reported having early sexual encounters compared to 29 percent of females.
The highest levels of early sexual encounters are reported in the National Capital Region (41 percent) and Central Luzon (31 percent)./PN
