The incidence of teenage pregnancy is on the rise among girls aged 10 to 14 in the Philippines, according to the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) on Friday.
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A 63% increase in the number of births delivered by the said age group was observed, comparing data from 2011 and 2018. Some 2,250 babies were born to mothers with such a young age in 2018, the POPCOM stressed.
Meanwhile, the incidence of teenage pregnancies among women 15 to 19 years old in the country decreased from 182,906 in 2017 to 181,717 in 2018.
POPCOM explained that individual and institutional factors are behind the differing trends among the two age groups of adolescents.
Among the individual factors were early onset of menstruation, lack of education, and exposure to risky behaviors on the internet and in their circle of friends.
Institutional factors include information dissemination and provision of access to family planning services for the younger population.
"Dahil sa institutional work, bumababa 'yung pregnancy sa 15 to 19 (years old) pero yung 10 to 14 (years old) mas strategic yata ang action na kailangan natin. Dapat it's more cultural, we need to get more institutions and adults involved," POPCOM chief Juan Antonio Perez III said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Health (DOH) divides the adolescent bracket into three groups: (1) not sexually active, (2) sexually active, (3) pregnant or already a parent. They have different approaches for each category.
"Doon sa first group is to delay the sexual activity... for those who are sexually active—protect them from unplanned pregnancy coupled with prevention of sexually transmitted infections, HIV... and lastly for those who are pregnant or with children is to prevent rapid repeat pregnancy," DOH program manager Dulce Elfa said.
Read more at: msn.com
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