Have a pleasant evening everyone! Currently, we are in a situation that we don't expect to happen. We have been battling against the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year now. During this pandemic, many problems have arisen. Social, political, mental, and physical problems are associated, and most of these problems don't have a solution yet. One thing that really caught my attention is the teenage pregnancy during a pandemic. We can observe that there is a rise in teenage pregnancies likely during this time of pandemic, and it is very alarming right? How ironic! The government implemented 'social distancing', but how come these teenagers still got the chance to see and be with their 'jowa' to do such things carelessly? 'Kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan' A great quote and hope from our national hero. But can we still uphold this saying from our national hero?
As I scroll through my social media accounts, some of my friends on the internet and even in real life are now pregnant. I am shocked at first, but because it often happens these days, it seems like nothing after a while. But it doesn't mean that we can normalize this since it often occurs. Have you ever wondered why these teenagers are in this kind of situation? I know most of you have an idea or answer to this question, but let me state it for you. There are some factors that cause teenage pregnancy. The pandemic? No. The pandemic is not the cause of teenage pregnancy because before the pandemic happens there is a problem with regard to this, but several mediating factors such as school closures, dysfunctional family or family problems, sexual violence, and lack of access to sexual and reproductive health education. Let me discuss these factors one by one for you to understand the reason why most teenagers nowadays are getting pregnant.
School closures
Based on the research findings from the Department of Science and Technology - National Research Council of the Philippines ( DOST- NRCP), school closure is one of the factors that cause teenage pregnancy. School closures during a crisis can result in girls spending more time with men and boys than they would were they to be in school, leading to a greater likelihood of engagement in risky sexual behavior and increased risk of sexual violence and exploitation. Since the modality of learning nowadays is more modular, youths have time to spend their time with their friends or 'jowl' despite the pandemic. And when they hang out of course there is always a chance that they drink liquor and once they get drunk, we all know what might happen. Once they found out that they are pregnant, they gonna flex it on their social medias and would say that it's a 'blessing' and ' at least di tulad ng iba na nagpalaglag para matawag na dalaga'. With this mindset and attitude, they are showing that it is good to be pregnant at an early age. That we should normalize teenage pregnancy, WHICH IS NOT RIGHT! Why? Because they will be forced to drop school since they are already pregnant, and as a result, they face multiple burdens such as low or no income, low education, and fewer employment opportunities.
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Dysfunctional family or family problem
Another factor is this family problem. We cannot avoid having a conflict within a family or a household. After all, nobody's perfect and of course, there is no perfect family. Right? During this pandemic, there is an extreme crisis because most of our parents lost their jobs, and closed their businesses due to COVID-19. That's why money is the reason why parents fight or have an argument with each other. And with this, it affects the relationship between parents and their children. The children feel distant from their parents. Maybe somehow getting pregnant or being pregnant is a way for the children to rebel against their parents.
Sexual violence
Actually, before the pandemic happened, there were issues of being sexually abused among teenagers. For many girls, sexual abuse leads to unwanted pregnancy as teenage girls have been forced into sex by the people around them. Either the partner of their parents, titos or titas, lolos or lolas and their friends. The evidence shows that in many places girls are at greatest risk of exposure to sexual violence within the context of close relationships such as those with family, friends, and intimate partners. We all know that in the past months, we have stayed at home since it is quarantine, and therefore most teenager spends time at home with their families.
Lack of access to sexual and reproductive health education.
Or simply sex education. The Philippines lacks in implementing sex education. Why? Because it is intervened by conservatives and church leaders. Their main reasoning is that sex education promotes promiscuity amongst children and it deviates from the proper values intended for the children.
Basically, the church is against the teachings of sex education in schools. They believe it should only be taught at home and not in a public setting. Because of the beliefs of the Catholic Church, sex education is hindered and looked down upon in the Philippines. As a result, this causes many teenagers and sexually active individuals to be unaware of basic knowledge that can protect them from the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned parenthood. In addition, this lack of sex education causes serious problems in the economy and housing industry because of overpopulation. In many situations, children wander aimlessly without parents in poverty-stricken areas. The church's disapproval of sex education in schools leaves many students curious and unaware of the consequences of unprotected sex. In the end, this can only lead to a cascade of events which leaves the country with more problems. If better access to sex education were to be made available in the Philippines, it would help minimize a number of unfavorable outcomes, such as those mentioned above. Individuals would be able to make better decisions that can lead to a more stable country where the high birth rates and rampant poverty can be more controlled.
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