ACCORDING to a study by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in 2023, 3,343 babies were born to children 10 to 14 years of age. Moreover, teenage pregnancy remains the leading cause of school dropouts among young Filipino females in the country, resulting in the inadequacy of their formal learning.

In another study by the same agency, 44% of Filipino girls and 39% of boys lack the proper references and modules referring to sex and gender, causing them to be more vulnerable to both misinformation and disinformation by the power of technology. As it is genuinely alarming, various laws and lawmakers strive to push sexual education (SexEd) to become a norm in the curriculum. 

Sex education remains a taboo in the Philippines, leading to misinformation and alarming rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs (PSA, 2022). The Senate Bill 1979, so known as the “Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill,” seeks to implement comprehensive, age-appropriate, and medically accurate sex education in schools to equip students with essential knowledge on reproductive health, consent, STI prevention, and gender awareness. Without proper education, youth remain vulnerable to risky behaviors and exploitation (UNFPA, 2021). Passing S.B. 1979 ensures young Filipinos make informed and responsible choices.

This advocacy mainly benefits girls and boys in the country by not exposing them to harmful situations that would eventually lead to the misalignment of their future. Additionally, it will give them a sense of responsibility for their bodies to make informed and careful consent.

Sex education provides young people with the proper knowledge and information that comes with growing up. According to Boskey, “SexEd doesn’t make youth have more sex. Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have consistently shown that teaching comprehensive sex education in schools doesn’t encourage kids to start having sex sooner or have it more often.” SexEd allows young individuals to be more prepared, mindful, and responsible for their health when it comes to relationships.

And since the anti-teenage pregnancy bill aims to provide adolescents with access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, without parental consent acknowledging their ability to make informed decisions and nurture their well-being, they get to receive improved access to sexual and reproductive health services.

The bill also intends to lessen the impact of teenage pregnancy on education, allowing female adolescents to continue their studies, attend higher education, and contribute to the economy. The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill also wants to justify and strengthen the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law by giving a concentrated approach and directing government attention and resources towards teenage pregnancy.

Therefore, the bill on refining access to sexual and reproductive health services, reducing the cases of teenage pregnancies and their potential risks, enhancing educational attainment and economic growth, and strengthening the RPRH Law is vital for making a more just society. While these issues persist, S.B. 1979 could emphasize a significant pace towards empowering young adolescents and establishing their well-being in the Philippines and teach individuals about the risks and responsibilities that come with sex and how to mitigate and avoid these risks or completely prevent them.

We require a comprehensive strategy that includes collaboration between healthcare providers, community activities, and education to lower the rates of adolescent pregnancies successfully. Among the tactics that have been proven successful are:

• Offering thorough sex education programs in educational institutions, which are medically accurate, evidence-based, and age-appropriate, and should include the benefits of delaying sexual intercourse while also providing information about normal reproductive development, contraception (including long-acting reversible contraception methods) to prevent unintended pregnancies, as well as barrier protection to prevent STIs.
• Providing outreach and support services to teens through community-based pregnancy prevention programs, which could begin in early childhood and continue through a person’s lifespan.
• Ensuring that teenagers have access to quality information and services around the topic of sexual health that should not only focus on reproductive development (including abnormalities in development), prevention of STIs, and unintended pregnancy but also teach about forms of sexual expression, healthy sexual and nonsexual relationships, gender identity and sexual orientation and questioning, communication, recognizing and preventing sexual violence, consent, and decision-making.

Now, what is truly in it for us as a conservative country that vows to be more inclusive and progressive when it comes to these topics? There is nothing else to do with this taboo but to ‘shoo’ the scare and misinformation away to push for the approval of the S.B. 1979!