A sharp increase on incidence of pregnancy on teenagers aged between 10 to 14 years old were recorded by Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM).
POPCOM reported a 63% increase in cases of pregnancy among the 10-14 age bracket with 2,250 babies born in 2018.
According to GMA News, pregnancy incidence among teenagers aged 15 to 19 slightly dropped from 182,906 in 2017 to 181,717 in 2018.
POPCOM cited individual factors such as early onset of menstruation, lack of education, and exposure to risky activities on the internet and among their friends.
The commission added institutional factors also played a role in different trend among adolescent age groups.
“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, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development executive director Romeo Dongeto revealed that prevalence of teenage pregnancy can be attributed to sexual violence.
“Ito po ‘yong medyo malungkot, of course, teenage pregnancy as it is is a very serious problem, but sexual violence against children is also very much connected to adolescent reproductive health and teenage pregnancy in the country,” Dongeto stressed.
The group expressed their concern over age of sexual consent as data showed that most of the partners of teenage mothers were older than them, reported Inquirer.
Data revealed that 2000 out of 2250 teenage pregnancies among 10-14 year-old bracket in 2018 were fathered by man in their 20s while two-thirds of reported teenage mothers aged 15 to 19 have partners who were older than them.
POPCOM chief Perez warned that the government would be losing the fight if the trend continues.
