Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines : Facts and figures, trends and issues

Josefina N. Natividad Up Population Institute

National Summit on Teen Pregnancy organized by the National Youth Commission, Heritage Hotel, 14 September 2012

Compared to its neighbors in ASEAN, the

Philippines ranks third highest in teenage

pregnancy , next to Lao PDR and Timor Leste ( based on 2000-2005 UN comparative data)

Cambodia Indonesia Lao PDR Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor Leste Vietnam

49.3 47.3

88.4

14.5 18.9

51.6

5.6

44.6

64.3

21.1

Cambodia Indonesia Lao PDR Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Timor Leste Vietnam

Births per 000 women age 15-19 ASEAN countries (2000-2005)

Source : UN Data . A World of Information http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=GenderStat&f=inID%3A13

But, from the same data source

Only the Philippines has an increasing teenage pregnancy rate in the ASEAN countries, from 1995-2000 to 2000-2005 In the rest of ASEAN, the rate is decreasing.

Cambodia

Indonesia

Lao PDR

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Timor Leste

Vietnam

49.3

47.3

88.4

14.5

18.9

51.6

5.6

44.6

64.3

21.1

57.7

52.3

90.5

16.1

24

46.9

7.4

49

114.3

24.9

Births/000 women , ASEAN

1995-2000 2000-2005

Source : UN Data . A World of Information http://data.un.org/Data.aspx?d=GenderStat&f=inID%3A13

Source 2008 NDHS

The risk of early childbearing is not equally distributed among all women in this age group. There are significant differences by education of the woman…

And by socioeconomic status of the woman…..

This differential by education and socioeconomic status is also reflected in the teenage pregnancy rate (or the age specific fertility rate 15-19)

Adolescent fertility rate by educational attainment

Source 2003 NDHS

Adolescent Fertility Rate by wealth quintile

Over the past 40 years, teenage pregnancy rates have actually remained quite stable, at a high level, even as the total fertility rate has been declining. So teenage pregnancy appears to have been as prevalent then as now.

Trends in Fertility rate among 15-19 and Total Fertility Rate

Source : National Demographic and Health Surveys 1973,1978,1983,1993,1998,2003,2008

The high teenage pregnancy rates then could have been attributed to: • Early marriage

• Early school leaving

Most of these pregnancies were accepted as most happened within marriage or were legitimized by marriage

The situation surrounding high teenage pregnancy now is different from then. There is potential for teenage pregnancy figures to soar even higher now, if nothing is done. What accounts for current high teenage pregnancy rates?

Predisposing factors for teen pregnancy: • Early onset of menarche

• Changes in family lifestyles

less parental supervision, more opportunities for teenagers to be on their own

• Changes in norms and values less stigma for pregnancy outside of marriage no compulsion to marry when one is pregnant more acceptance of children born out of wedlock

• Early onset of sexual activity

• Peer pressure for early sexual engagement

• Acceptability of sexual intimacy in teenage relationships

• Inadequate life skills in the face of this changing environment

Life skills are “the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life".

Core life skill strategies and techniques (UNESCO, UNICEF) 1. problem solving 2. critical thinking 3. creative thinking 4. decision-making 5. empathy 6. coping with stress and emotions 7. effective communication skills 8. interpersonal relationship skills 9. self awareness building skills

What to do…..