Teenage Pregnancy

Philippines has highest rate of teen pregnancy

QUEZON CITY (Agencies) : Commenting on the results of a report from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released on May 7, showing that The Philippines has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Asia, a 25-year-old teacher, Nelson Ingking, from Talibon, Bohol, said that he deals with a lot of students who are attention-starved at home.
He said that this is reflected in their behaviour at school and they tend to be problematic, but it also manifests itself in their social life, as they look to a boyfriend or girlfriend to compensate for what they are missing out on at home.
“It is really a matter of family background,” 28-year-old Melanie Santos, a staff member at the National Secretariat for Youth Apostolate, noted.
Santos specifically mentioned the classic rebellious stage teenagers go through as being part of the reason, but added that she believes this is aggravated by the fact that so many parents are not living at home with them.
CBCP News reported that the opinions expressed by Santos and Ingking are backed by the United Nations research paper.
The report, entitled Relationships, Love and Sexuality: What the Filipino Teens Think and Feel, put together by Jokin de Irala, reads in part, “... communication with parents protects against early sexual initiation and against risky behaviours.”
A study done by a professor of experimental psychology, Bruce Ellis, from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand, shows that teenage girls, whose fathers were away either before they were born or up to age five, are seven to eight times more likely to get pregnant in their teens than their counterparts whose fathers are at home.
A 25-year-old political science graduate, Aphrodite Organo, called the findings alarming, but said that she believes that two-way communication is the key to counteracting the trend.
“Teenagers should be open with their parents and when they reach that stage, parents should be the ones to orient them,” she commented.
According to the National Demographic Health Survey 2008, three per cent of Filipino women have had sexual intercourse by age 15. http://mabuhay.catholic.org.hk/node/479 Youth Advisory Board
The Youth Advisory Board is a civic journalism internship program featuring the words and images of Chicago high school students.
Causes and Solutions of Teen Pregnancy
Posted on December 7, 2011
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Do you think that teen pregnancy happens purposely or not meant to happen? Many people think that teens try to get pregnant when that is not always the case. There are many different ways that can cause teen pregnancy. One way, is that schools and parents are lacking to educate their kids and they should try to give out more sources. Another way is that the media influence teen’s lifestyle; they should try posting more positive things for teens to look up to. Last but not least is peer pressure from their friends in which teens should seek out advice to make the right decision. Teen pregnancy can be caused by lack of sex education, the media, and peer pressure.
Teen Pregnancy happens more often nowadays because of lack of sex education. One reason is that schools are lacking on giving teens a lot of information about sex. Schools aren’t giving out enough resources for teens to be proficient with sex education. Many schools don’t really focus on that topic it’s understandable because sex does not have much about academics. Although, this topic should not be left out because talking to your kids about sex can influence their lifestyle. Some teens learn about sex out in the streets which is bad because the streets are mostly educate kids to have sex. Also, some teens feel that it’s an embarrassing topic to talk to their parents, so they never bring the topic up. Teens should not be ashamed or afraid to talk to their parents about sex; if anything the parents can educate their children about sex to make good decisions that will impact their children. No parent wants to come to find out that their child is pregnant or got someone pregnant. That is why it’s a good and wise choice to educate teens about sex and preventing teen pregnancy. The solution to this problem is that parents and schools should try to educate their children with my more facts about sex, so that they can prevent teen pregnancy.
Also, the media has an impact on how teens view their lives by influencing them with different kinds of lifestyle. Teens can easily be brainwashed by the media thinking that what they see in the media may be always good, when that is not always true. TV shows like “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” encourage teens thinking that teenage pregnancy is okay. Moreover, the media have plenty of shows that involve sex, which teens may find interesting. This may lead to teenagers wanting to experiment on how sex is, which may involve teenage pregnancy if not careful. The media encourages teens wanting to experiment on things that parents would’ve hope that their children should’ve waited. Also, the media influence things on what they think is up to style or not. The media should put up more educational shows to influence teens to do something with their lives for the future.
Does Peer pressure effect a lot of teens dealing with pregnancies? Most of it has to do with your friends or the people you hang around with. Most teens like to brag about what they’ve done. So that encourages other teens to do the same thing; other times they want to fit in. Most boys get peer pressure into having sex before they’re even ready. But, on the other hand it’s not always their fault. They just have curious minds and have wonders. Another thing that might pressure you in to having sex would probably be your hormones. This is the stage when you can’t control them. Other thing is the feeling of being pressured to satisfy your partner in a relationship, so they won’t feel rejected. They feel like they’re not good enough which could lead to depression. In order to resist peer pressure, more adults should seek out to teens to help them make more healthy decisions about sex, so that they can prevent teen pregnancy.
Teens get influence by many things in society whether it may be good or bad. Parents should help teens on making responsible decisions about sex because it will help teens make wiser choices which may impact their future. Also, teenagers should not let their friends decide on if they should or should not have sex because this may cause an unwanted pregnancy. Teens should not get brainwashed based on what the media is showing. Teen pregnancy is preventable, there are safe ways to have sex without the fears of getting pregnant.
By, Denise Guillen and Raul Martinez
1. 3 in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year.
2. Parenthood is the leading reason that teen girls drop out of school. More than half of teen mothers never graduate from high school.
3. Less than 2 percent of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30.
4. About a quarter of teen moms have a second child within 24 months of their first baby.
5. The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the western industrialized world.
6. From 1990 to 2008, the teen pregnancy rate decreased 42 percent (from 117 to 68 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls).
7. In 2008 the teen pregnancy rate among African-American and Hispanic teen girls, age 15 to 19, was over two and a half times higher than the teen pregnancy rate among white teen girls of the same age group.
8. 8 out of 10 teen dads don’t marry the mother of their child.
9. A sexually active teen who doesn’t use contraceptives has a 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year.
10. Almost 50 percent of teens have never considered how a pregnancy would affect their lives.
11. Teens had fewer babies in 2010 than in any year since the mid-1940s.

Possible Solutions
There are plenty of ways to solve the issue of teenage pregnancy. There are many small controversies that lead to the topic of teen pregnancy. Not all contraceptives can prevent pregnancies one hundred percent of the time. Therefore the solid solution to preventing teen pregnancy is not having sex. A lot of teenagers that practice “no sex”, abstinence, are part of some type of religion that specifically says people that practice this religion cannot have sex until they are married. This is a solid way to know these teens will not become pregnant. However, not all teens are part of a religion. Another thing that prevents teens from having sex is fear. A lot of teenagers do not know of all of the sexually transmitted diseases that are being spread among the human population. If teens were taught information on the risks of having sex it will encourage them to practice safe sex by using protection or not even have sex at all because of the fear of catching a disease. This then lowers their risk of becoming pregnant. It is said that teenagers and any kid that is in school should not be having sex. Every teen in school should be taught that they should wait until they are out of high school to be sexually active. In high school teens are going through puberty and not fully matured. Their hormones are going crazy and they just want attention from the opposite sex. Not only that but they are also too immature to know who they should be sexually involved with. They most likely do not have full information on using contraceptives, what kind they should be using, and how to use them (“Lists 1). Another point made about preventing teen pregnancy from the Facts on File news paper is “Teens who have been raised by both parents (biological or adoptive) from birth, have lower probabilities of having sex then teens who grew up in any other family situation” (“Lists” 1). This is another way to prevent teen pregnancy. Parents need to make sure their teen is in a stable living environment and is not being neglected in any way possible. If parents, schools, and communities put the effort into using all of these solutions it could lower the rates of teenage pregnancy (“Lists” 1). https://sites.google.com/site/preventingteenpregnant/possible-solutions

10 Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy Purchase a copy of 10 Tips for Parents
Download a copy of 10 Tips for Parents

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy has reviewed research about parental influences on children’s sexual behavior and talked to many experts in the field, as well as to teens and parents themselves. From these sources, it is clear that there is much parents and adults can do to reduce the risk of teen pregnancy.
Many of these ideas presented here will seem familiar because they articulate what parents already know from experience — like the importance of maintaining strong, close relationships with children and teens, setting clear expectations for them, and communicating honestly and often with them about important matters. Research supports these common sense ideas. We hope that these tips can increase the ability of parents to help their children pass safely into adulthood pregnancy-free.
So, what to do?
1. Be clear about your own sexual values and attitudes.
Communicating with your children about sex, love, and relationships is often more successful when you are clear in your own mind about these issues. To help clarify your own attitudes and values, think about the following kinds of questions.
~ What do you really think about school-aged teenagers being sexually active — perhaps even becoming parents? Is abstinence best for teens?
~ Who is responsible for setting limits in a relationship and how is that done, realistically?
~ Were you sexually active as a teenager and how do you feel about that now? Were you sexually active before you were married? What do such reflections lead you to say to your own children about these issues?
~ Is abstinence best for teens? What do think about teens using contraception?
2. Talk with your children early and often about sex, and be specific.
Young people have lots of questions about sex, love, and relationships. And they often say that the source they’d most like to go for answers is their parents. Start the conversation, and make sure that it is honest, open, and respectful. If you can’t think of how to start the discussion consider using situations shown on TV or in the movies as conversation starters. Tell teens candidly and confidently what you think and why you believe what you do. If you’re not sure about some issues, tell them about that, too. Be sure to have a two-way conversation, not a one-way lecture. Ask them what they think and what they know so you can correct misconceptions. Ask what, if anything, worries them.
Age-appropriate conversations about relationships and intimacy should begin early in a child’s life and continue through adolescence. Resist the idea that there should be just one conversation about all this — you know, “the talk.” Think 18 year conversation. The truth is that parents and kids should be talking about sex and love all along. This applies to both sons and daughters and mothers and fathers. All teens need large amounts of communication, guidance, and information about these issues, even if they sometimes don’t appear to be interested in what you have to say. And if you have regular conversations, you won’t worry so much about making a mistake, because you’ll always be able to talk again.
Many inexpensive books and videos are available to help with any detailed information you might need, but don’t let your lack of technical information make you shy. Kids need as much help in understanding the meaning of sex as they do in understanding how all the body parts work. Tell them about love and sex, and what the difference is. And remember to talk about the reasons that kids find sex interesting and enticing; discussing only the “downside” of unplanned pregnancy and disease misses many of the issues on teenagers’ minds.

3. Supervise and monitor your children and adolescents.
Establish rules, curfews, and standards of expected behavior, preferably through an open process of family discussion and respectful communication. If your children get out of school at 3 pm and you don’t get home from work until 6 pm, who is responsible for making certain that your children are not only safe, but also are engaged in useful activities? Where are they when they go out with friends? Are there adults around who are in charge? Supervising and monitoring your kids’ whereabouts doesn’t make you a nag; it makes you a parent.
4. Know your children’s friends and their families.
Friends have a strong influence on each other, so help your children and teenagers become friends with kids whose families share your values. Some parents of teens even arrange to meet with the parents of their children’s friends to establish common rules and expectations. It is easier to enforce a curfew that all your child’s friends share rather than one that makes him or her different — but even if your views don’t match those of other parents, hold fast to your convictions. Welcome your children’s friends into your home and talk to them warmly and openly.
5. Discourage early, frequent, and steady dating.
Group activities among young people are fine and often fun, but allowing teens to begin one-on-one dating much before age 16 can lead to trouble. Let your child know about your strong preference about this throughout childhood — don’t wait until your young teen proposes a plan that differs from your preferences in this area; otherwise, he or she will think you just don’t like the particular person or invitation.
6. Take a strong stand against your daughter dating a boy significantly older than she is.
And don’t allow your son to develop an intense relationship with a girl much younger than he is. Older guys can seem glamorous to a young girl. But the risk of matters getting out of hand increases when the guy is much older than the girl. Try setting a limit of no more than a two (or at most three) year age difference. The power differences between older boys or men and younger girls can lead girls into risky situations, including unwanted sex and sex with no protection.
7. Help your teenagers to have options for the future that are more attractive than early pregnancy and parenthood.
The chances that your son or daughter will delay having sex, pregnancy, and parenthood are significantly increased if their future appears bright. This means helping them set meaningful goals for the future, talking to them about what it takes to make future plans come true, and helping them reach their goals. Tell them, for example, that if they want to be a teacher, they will need to stay in school in order to earn various degrees and pass certain exams. It also means teaching them to use free time in a constructive way, such as setting aside certain times to complete homework assignments. Explain how becoming pregnant — or causing pregnancy — can derail the best of plans; for example, child care expenses might make it almost impossible to afford college. Community service, in particular, can not only teach job skills, but can also put teens in touch with a wide variety of committed and caring adults.
8. Let your kids know that you value education highly.
Encourage your child to take school seriously and set high expectations about their school performance. School failure is often the first sign of trouble and can end in teenage parenthood. Be very attentive to your child’s progress in school and intervene early if things aren’t going well. Keep track of your children’s grades in school and discuss them together. Meet with teachers and principals, guidance counselors, and coaches. Limit the number of yours your teenagers gives to part-time jobs (20 hours a week should be the maximum) so that there is enough time and energy left to focus on school. Know about homework assignments and support your child in getting them done. Volunteer at the school, if possible. Schools want more parental involvement and will often try to accommodate your work schedule, if asked.
9. Know what your kids are watching, reading, and listening to.
The media (television, radio, movies, music videos, magazines, the Internet) are chock full of material sending the wrong messages. Sex rarely has meaning, unplanned pregnancy seldom happens, and no one who is having sex ever seems to be married or even especially committed to anyone. Is this consistent with your expectations and values? If not, it is important to talk with your children about what the media portray and what you think about it. If certain programs or movies offend you, say so, and explain why. Be media literate— think about what you and your family are watching and reading. Encourage your kids to think critically: ask them what they think about the programs they watch and the music they listen to.
You can always turn the TV off, cancel subscriptions, and place certain movies off limits. You will probably not be able to fully control what your children see and hear, but you can certainly make your views known and control your own home environment.
10. These first nine tips for helping your children avoid teen pregnancy work best when they occur as part of a strong, close relationship with your children, that is built from an early age.
Strive for a relationship that is warm in tone, firm in discipline, and rich in communication and one that emphasizes mutual trust and respect. There is no single way to create such relationships, but the following habits of the heart can help:
~ Express love and affection clearly and often. Hug your children, and tell them how much they mean to you. Praise specific accomplishments, but remember that expressions of warmth and love should be offered freely, not just for a particular achievement.
~ Listen carefully to what your children say and pay thoughtful attention to what they do.
~ Spend time with your child engaged in activities that suit his age and interests, not just yours. Shared experiences build a “bank account” of affection and trust that forms the basis for future communication with him about specific topics, including sexual behavior.
~ Be supportive and be interested in what interests them. Attend her sports events; learn about his hobbies; be enthusiastic about her achievements, even the little ones; ask them questions that show you care and want to know what is going on in their lives.
~ Be courteous and respectful to your children and avoid hurtful teasing or ridicule. Don’t compare your teenager with other family members (i.e., why can’t you be like your older sister?). Show that you expect courtesy and respect from them in return.
~ Help them to build self-esteem by mastering skills; remember, self-esteem is earned, not given, and one of the best ways to earn it is by doing something well.
~ Try to have meals together as a family as often as possible, using the time for conversation, not confrontation
A final note: it’s never too late to improve a relationship with a child or teenager. Don’t underestimate the great need that children feel — at all ages — for a warm relationship with their parents and for their parents’ guidance, approval, and support. http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/resources/10Tips.aspx EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY
EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY:
SOCIALLY
ECONOMICALLY
Emotional Effect of Early pregnancy to Teenagers
Teenagers are not supposed to be pregnant because of their age. Unfortunately, many women aged 13-17, get pregnant every year. Most of them are not yet ready to be mothers.
A. Emotional Effect
There are various emotional effects of early pregnancy to teenagers.
1. Initial excitement
Some teenagers are excited to bear a child, especially when it is their first pregnancy. They are excited to see their baby. Others are excited to buy clothes and other things for the baby. They think of names for the baby.
2. Confuse
Some are confused and at a loss on what to do. They are too young and many have no idea about bearing a child.
3. Afraid
Some are scared. They think of questions like, “How should I tell my parents?” “How will I face my classmates?” or “What is the best thing to do to solve this problem?” They are afraid to answer these questions.ey feel scared on what will be the reactions of their parents.
4. Frustrated
Frustration comes later. Pregnant teenagers will realize that they are not yet ready to bear a child when it’s already late.
B. Emotional Effect to Love Ones
Being pregnant makes one’s life complicated. It can affect you and your love ones.
1. Family
Parents expect their children to be good. They expect that all the good things from their children.
Some emotional effects to family are:
a. Frustrated or Disappointment
Many parents are not happy about the early pregnancy of children. They expect help in their old age, but their pregnant child might have some other plans.
b. Excitement
Others are excited about a new family member.
2. Friends
Friends might be disappointed if they know that you are pregnant. They might be shocked because at your young age you will be a mother.

Physical Effect of Teenage Pregnancy

Changes can be observed in a pregnant woman. Diet and exercise are necessary.
Changes in a pregnant teenager’s body
1. Increase in Body Weight
2. Increase of Foot Size
3. Increase of Breast Size
4. The darkening of Cheeks and Forehead
Mental Effect of Early Pregnancy
Among the issues encountered by a pregnant teenager are:
A. Depression
It is common among pregnant teenager who are desperate to solve their problems.
Some teenagers try to solve their problem by:
1. Abortion
It is the removal of a fetus from the mother’s womb. Abortion is illegal. About 300,000 to 500,000 women undergo abortion every year.
Article 256, 258 and 259 in the Revised Penal Code of the Philippine penalize women who undergo abortion and others who help her with imprisonment. Some teenager, however, think that abortion is a way to solve their problem.
2. Suicide
Some teenagers think of suicide.
Resources:
http://www.optionline.org/cause-teen-pegnancy.asp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/teenage-pregnancy?ref=psweboffice Effective Teen Pregnancy Prevention Interventions
What Can Policymakers Do?
Persuasive evidence shows that a number of programs with different approaches can delay sexual activity, improve contraceptive use among sexually active teens, and/or prevent teen pregnancy. Because of the significant variety among these interventions, communities have leeway to find programs that suit local values, opportunities, and budgets. [1] Proven programs include:
Curriculum-based sex education that discusses abstinence and contraceptive use.
Service learning programs whose primary focus is keeping young people constructively engaged in their communities and schools.
Youth development programs that encourage teens to plan for their future using a broad approach that combines components such as sex education, sports, performing arts, academic assistance, financial literacy, and more.
Parent programs that involve both parents/caring adults and adolescents and generally seek to improve parent-child communication, particularly on sex and related topics.
Community-wide programs that tend to be much broader in scope and that encourage involvement from the entire community (not just teens and their parents).
Clinic-based interventions that offer family planning and sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention and treatment services to teenagers.
Abstinence and Contraception: Complimentary Strategies. There is strong evidence that programs that encourage abstinence as the safest choice for teens and also encourage those who do have sex to use contraception are effective. Thus, abstinence and contraception are complimentary, not competing, aspects of effective programs. [2] http://www.philippinephotographyblog.com/2008/05/batang-ina-photo-documentary-on-teenage.html#.UkeuHtJJPMA http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2013/07/11/963984/teenage-pregnancy-rise http://www.unfpa.org.ph/index.php/news/323-philippines-highlights-rising-teen-pregnancy-on-1st-international-day-of-girl-child http://www.sunstar.com.ph/baguio/local-news/2013/08/18/teenage-pregnancy-increases-298479 http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/316613/lifestyle/healthandwellness/number-of-pinay-teenagers-giving-birth-up-by-more-than-60-percent-in-10-years-3rd-highest-in-asean http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/07/09/13/high-teen-pregnancy-rate-blamed-lack-sex-ed http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/focus/07/12/13/price-rising-teen-pregnancies-ph http://manilastandardtoday.com/2013/03/26/philippine-teenage-pregnancy-up-65-in-the-last-decade/ http://gcapponline.org/love/teen-pregnancy-an-introduction/