The recent debate surrounding the controversial Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act has once again shone a harsh spotlight on the issue of teenage pregnancies.
Sex education, after all, continues to be a “taboo” issue in the Philippines’ cultural and societal sphere. Parents still rarely have the willingness to bring up the topic to their children, while religious groups have forcefully opposed efforts to bring up reproductive health in the name of “morality” and protecting children from sexual abuse.
Ironically, this often leads to children resorting to “experimentation,” or turning to their peers or the Internet for information. This leaves them even more vulnerable to sexual abuse or exploitation.
Consider this: according to the Commission on Population and Development – Calabarzon office, two cities in Laguna province reported the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the region.
As of April 25, 2024, the city of Calamba recorded the highest teenage pregnancy rate with 7,275 cases, followed by the municipality of Tanza in Cavite with 6,902 cases and the city of Biñan with 6,646 cases.
Not to mention the rising cases of sexual abuse and exploitation among minors, most cases of which are, alarmingly, perpetrated by family members, relatives, or someone close to the victims.
While religious groups have the valid right to be concerned about morality, shouldn’t we be aware that the more we’re “shielding” our youth from the “facts of life,” the more we are making them less able to make informed choices and protect themselves against predators?
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