The University of the Philippines Population Institution (UPPI) surveyed 10,949 youth (in person and through sealed questionnaire) from 17 regions in 974 sample barangays on 14 major topics including puberty, dating, sex, lifestyle, health and media.
The product—2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality (YAFS5) noted a declining awareness of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and emergency contraception (EC) pills, HIV (human immunocompromised virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). YAFS5 commenced in August 2021 and was completed in January 2022.
The findings: only 35 percent (males) and 34 percent (females) of Filipino youth aged 15-24 years have an awareness of STIs and ECs and the percentage of those with comprehensive knowledge of HIV and AIDS was below 20 percent.
Awareness of HIV and/or AIDS, meanwhile, was 74 percent (males) and 78 percent (females) for the same year, dropping from 82 and 85 percent, respectively 2013, or when the fourth YAFS was conducted.
This is a growing trend, said Christian Joy P. Cruz, UPPI associate professor last Oct. 14 and she noted that in 1994, awareness of HIV and/or AIDS was 95 percent for both genders.
About 52 percent of Filipino youths believed that a person can get HIV by sharing food with someone who is infected and 24 percent believed a person can get HIV from mosquito bites.
“Sex is still apparently a taboo topic at home,” said UPPI associate professor Maria Paz N. Marquez and only 12 percent among males, and 13 percent among females, had discussions at home about sex in 2021.
Those that did not consult anyone about sex rose to 93 percent (males) and 23 percent (females), up from 24 percent and 20 percent, respectively. For those that did consult, friends were top choice for males (40 percent in 2021 down from 50 percent in 2013) and females preferred mothers (39 percent in 2021 down from 43 percent in 2013) and friends (22 percent in 2021 down from 26 percent in 2013).
Males that used protection during sex were 68 percent and 58 percent for females. And the common contraception was condoms and withdrawal since most of the sexual initiation was unplanned but happened anyway. Those that did not plan their sexual initiation were 28 percent for males and 32 percent for females but went along with it. The males that used condoms (77 percent) bought from drugstores and 3 percent online. Only 11 percent of males and 3 percent of females said they carried condom always.
On the EC pills, the study found although awareness of it is low, 31 percent of males and 24 percent of females would consider using it if it was available.
It is hoped that with the data gathering effort of this study, a convergence among policy makers and those in Congress can be reached, said Grace Cruz, UPPI professor.
The whole idea is so policy formulation to be based on scientific basis for the welfare of young people.
The YAFS5 report will be available in 2023. The UPPI said it is targeting to release the raw data by the middle of 2023.