Teen pregnancy in the Philippines statistics
The Population Commission (POPCOM) reported that 24 babies are born to teenage mothers every hour. About 200,000 teens in the Philippines get pregnant annually, most of whom are 15 to 19 years of age. The World Bank notes that every year, 47 per 1,000 births from women in the Philippines are from mothers aged 15-19.
Most alarming is the fact that there were at least 2,000 10- to 14-year-old Filipinas who became pregnant in 2017. There was also a 63% jump in the number of births delivered by 10- to 14-year-old teenage mothers, in data that was compared from 2011 and 2018.
This rate of teen pregnancy in the Philippines reflects sexual abuse in minors. According to the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc., adolescent reproductive health and teenage pregnancy is connected to sexual violence. POPCOM also reports that 130,000 teenage pregnancies were with fathers aged 20 years and above. Following this, teen pregnancy is a phenomenon that must not be taken lightly.
Teen pregnancy in the Philippines
There is still a social stigma with teenage pregnancy in the Philippines. More often, they are forced by their families into marriage to avoid the shame of being an unwed mother. However, these usually result in more stress inflicted on the mother emotionally, which increases the risk of maternal complications. This may lead to low survival rates of both mother and child.
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