The situation of pregnant minors in the Philippines keeps growing more intimidating as each year passes. Last 2020, the Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) stated that about 40 Filipino children aged ten to 14 years old give birth every week. And according to them, this matter will only get worse amidst the current nationwide lockdown. Research by the UP Population Institution predicts a drastic increase of infants being born, or the "baby boom," by the end of 2021. They estimated that of the two million expected childbirth, 11 percent belongs to the age group of women aged 20 years old and below.
Senator Risa Hontiveros urged for a direct and specific intervention in response to the prediction, and filed for the Senate Bill No. 1334 or the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act. The act is centered mostly around a standardized version of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), and making it mandatory among all schools. Yet despite the severity of the situation, debates regarding this act have been delayed by the Senate due to strong oppositions on CSE.
Several Catholic institutes expressed their discouragement, implying how disrespectful the implementation is and how it completely disregards the moral aspect. They fear that CSE in early education would conflict their vision on the formation of their own students. Alongside this, there is belief that sexual education would arouse adolescents' curiosity on sexual practices. With the said continuous “moral decadence” of the new generation, CSE will only push teenagers to grow more promiscuous and increase the probability of sexual activity before marriage.
However, this old belief has been long proven false by multiple researchers. A few of them from the University of Washington have found that adolescents who received CSE are either: significantly less likely or just as likely to become pregnant than adolescents who receive abstinence-only-until-marriage or no formal sex education. The belief dismisses both facts that sex is not an issue of morality, and that it is natural for the young to be curious. Sexual curiosity is natural for man. It is a biological process and is actively present in adolescence. Now, promoting this idea may only encourage children to create decisions on what they feel without much thought. That's why the need to educate them on the depth of this matter is crucial.
Information should be provided by the educational institute, as this is the most reliable source for adolescents. Without it, they rely solely on the people around them. In spite of what the opposition suggested, a lot of parents choose to close such important discussions with their child, finding it uncomfortable. This creates a negative environment around the topic of sex for children, leaving them to ask questions elsewhere. But if not from school or from their parents, where can they look for answers? Do they seek answers from their friends who know no better than them or from the internet where fake news is prevalent? Rumors in these conditions will eventually spread like wildfire. And with no damage control, you will soon find a whole group of kids who believe that a plastic bag is a good alternative for contraceptives.
It is false assumptions like these that cause improper sexual practices. And with the world shutting them out on how they are feeling and curiosity getting the best of them, rates of teenage pregnancy will constantly break numbers.
Comprehensive sexual education aims to correct false knowledge and provide guidance for the ever-growing interest in sexual health. The opposition reacts negatively to the word ‘sexual’, when the attention of CSE is around the word ‘health’. With a holistic approach on what is considered as a taboo topic, children are granted full access to scientifically-accurate and beneficial information. CSE teaching is done in an open and non-judgmental environment. It highly encourages kids to ask any questions, no matter how far-fetch it is, inside the classroom. Discussions are factual, indiscreet and listed in incremental form, unlike what opposers thought. Each grade level is designed to receive a specific curriculum composed of age-appropriate information.
The curriculum for younger students focuses on basic concepts such as stranger danger and good touch, bad touch. It highlights the notion of how the children can protect themselves at such an early age from unwelcome advances. And as the child matures, so does the curriculum. Far from how other people might imagine, teenagers will not be exposed to graphic sexual content. Instead, discussions help students recognize and avoid abusive and coercive behaviors. It also emphasizes the repercussions of their sexual actions, like the stress of unplanned pregnancies and the lifelong struggles of STDs. Lastly, teenagers are advised on how to make sound decisions about their health and future.
Modern-day problems call for modern-day solutions. The change of the youth's behavior does not indicate loss of "traditional moral values.” Instead, it is the effect of a constantly changing environment and advancement in technology. Taking this into consideration, the way we call for action must also adapt with the pace of time and change of views.
Although mitigating something as big as teenage pregnancy will take a lot of time, we can reach the end victoriously, with very little steps—dare say, baby steps. One of these would be implementing CSE in every school. Besides this, local concerns about the curriculum must be taken into consideration in order to guarantee the effectiveness of it. Modern technology and media can be maximized to appeal to kids. With the right utilization, campaigns can emphasize the importance of being educated on this subject.
Nevertheless, embracing such a liberal mindset will be the biggest step the Philippines has to take someday, if it truly wants to create actual change. It is time to recognize that the young must understand the reality of what is happening to them, to recognize that sexual curiosity is not a bleak emotion. Rather than burying the idea of sex entirely from the younger population, why can we not support being open and feed them with the right knowledge?
As Franics Bacon once said, “scientia potestas est”, or in English, “Knowledge is power.” Being continuously left in the dark, the youth is unable to create right decisions. And yes, the youth will create their own decisions. How else will they learn if others decide for them? Discouraging them of proper sexual education deprives them of their ability to choose wisely. It is crucial to advocate for proper education, as absence of knowledge will often breed bad outcomes. It is not a matter of moral values. Adolescence is full of uncertainty as not only does change occur physically, but as well as mentally. The best society can offer is to protect them from choices that blurs the certainty of their futures.