Peer Pressure: The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy in The Philippines

Samantha Cheska B.
Carnate BS CpE III
The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

in the Philippines
Over the past few decades, teenage pregnancy has become a public
concern which has generated a great deal of attention in the locality.
Increasing awareness of the social and economic consequences of teenage
pregnancy has led to a consensus opinion among policy makers and the
public that teenage pregnancy and child bearing is a significant social
problem. It has been linked to an array of other social issues, such as
welfare dependency, child health and well-being, out of wedlock births,
fatherhood responsibility, child abuse and neglect, school drop-out and
workforce development.
The frequency of teenage pregnancy among the youth is alarming and

has become more or less a fact of life in many nations of the world
including Philippines. This remains both culturally deleterious and
personally destructive. Teenage pregnancy has lots of effects on
Educational Development of teenagers who are victims of this phenomenon.
The Philippine government and other religious institutions are
studying every angle to look for ways to reduce untimely pregnancy among
teenager, but what does the possible causes of teenage pregnancy? These
are many factors which have been recognized by researchers and authors
as being responsible for teenage pregnancy. It has been noted and
well documented that today’s teenagers face more sexual temptation
than previous generations. They seem to be more aware of sex and
susceptible to the dangers of illicit sex. Today’s society is more
bombarded with sexually oriented materials in the environment. The
teenager are more vulnerable to sexual temptations.
Peer Pressure
During adolescence, teenagers often feel pressure to make friends and fit in with
their peers. Many times these teens let their friends influence their decision to have
sex even when they do not fully understand the consequences associated with the
act. Teenagers have sex as a way to appear cool and sophisticated, but in some
cases the end result is an unplanned teen pregnancy. The Kaiser Family Foundation
states that more than 29 percent of pregnant teens reported that they felt
pressured to have sex, and 33 percent of pregnant teens stated that they felt that
they were not ready for a sexual relationship, but proceeded anyway because they
feared ridicule or rejection.
Absent Parents
Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant if the have limited or no guidance from
their parents. Many parents have busy lives that prevent them from providing the
guidance and support that their young teenagers need to make good decisions on
issues such as sex, according to the website Parent Dish. When a teen does not feel
that she can talk to her parents about sex either because they forbid sex talk or
because they are not around, she will more than likely turn to friends for direction
on whether or not to have sex, resulting in misinformation and possible teen
pregnancy.
Glamorization of Pregnancy
The movie industry and the media contribute to teenage pregnancy by glamorizing
teen pregnancy in news stories and movies. Movies that depict teen pregnancy as
something to be desired encourage teens to engage in reckless sexual activity,
according to ABC's "Good Morning America." During adolescence, teens become
more focused on their appearance and how their peers perceive them. They want to
be seen as part of the group, so if teen pregnancy is viewed as acceptable in their
school or amongst their friends, they may seek to become pregnant as a way to gain
social acceptance.
Lack of Knowledge
Teenagers who are uneducated about sex are more likely to have an unintended
pregnancy. Some teens do not fully understand the biological and emotional aspects
associated with having sex, according to DailyRecord.co.uk. These teens may get
incorrect information from friends, videos, sitcoms and/or movies. Many times,
teens do not have the knowledge needed to make informed and responsible
decisions about whether or not to engage in sexual activity that can alter their life.
Sexual Abuse or Rape

Teens can become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or rape. The Guttmacher
Institute states that between 43 and 62 percent of teens acknowledge that they
were impregnated by an adult male, and two-thirds report that their babies' fathers
are as old as 27. Approximately 5 percent of all teen births are the result of a rape.
Teenage Drinking
Teen drinking can cause an unexpected pregnancy, according to the website Love to
Know. Many teens experiment with drugs and alcohol. Drinking lowers a teen’s
ability to control her impulses, contributing to 75 percent of pregnancies that occur
between the ages 14 and 21. Approximately 91 percent of pregnant teens reported
that although they were drinking at the time, they did not originally plan to have sex
when they conceived.
In the developed world, the causes of teenage pregnancy is different in the sense
that it is mostly outside marriage and carries lots of social stigma. Thus, adolescent
sexual behavior is one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. In our world today, having
sex before 20 yrs is the “in” thing, it is even normal all over the world and this
is brought about high levels of adolescent pregnancy which creates sexual relationship
among teenagers without the provision of comprehensive information about sex.
 The immature and irresponsible behavior arising due to complex teenage psychology is
another important cause of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers often go through a number of
emotions because of their own transition from childhood and peer pressure.
 Lack of sexual education causes teens to get abortions as they ultimately realize their
inability to bear the responsibilities of being a parent at such a young age.
 The lack of attention and affection from family resulting in depression forces them to seek
love and support from other people, especially members of the opposite sex.
 Overprotection gives rise to frustration and a feeling of not being loved and cared for.
Thus, balance is the key to avoid this problem. Lack of affectionate supervision of parents
or guardians results into the adolescents or teenage girl’s becoming pregnant.

Peer Pressure: The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy in The Philippines

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Peer Pressure: The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy in The Philippines

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Peer Pressure: The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy in The Philippines

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Samantha Cheska B.

Carnate BS CpE III

The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

The frequency of teenage pregnancy among the youth is alarming and

Sexual Abuse or Rape

You might also like