Five teenagers get pregnant every day in Eastern Samar, according to the Eastern Samar Provincial Health Office. Between 2011 and 2012, facility-based data on antenatal care services also showed that 11 per cent of pregnant mothers in the province are 19 years old and below, with 13 being the youngest.

Very few of these young girls are actually married – only 7 per cent.  Majority, or 57 per cent, are in a live-in arrangement with a partner while 36 per cent are single.

Teresita Dala, provincial reproductive health coordinator, said the data is only based on the records of women who sought services from health facilities. She believes the number of teen pregnancies could be higher. When a teenage girl gets pregnant, she is usually shielded from public attention, especially if she is not married yet, Dala said.

Pregnancy among young girls poses high risk to their life and well-being due to the many complications that could occur. For the mother, these include premature labor, bleeding, pre-eclampsia, and abortion. Their babies are also at risk for prematurity, small for gestational age, and very low birth weight.

Pregnancy among very young adolescents (10-14 years old) is also a red flag for possible cases of sexual violence and exploitation.

During a situational analysis and development planning for adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) held in Borongan City, Eastern Samar last June, participating adolescents and other stakeholders revealed a far gloomy situation for young people: ASRH data are not readily available nor regularly collected; policies and structural mechanisms are generally absent; family planning, STI/HIV/AIDS, and GBV services are not readily available to young people; people across sectors have very low knowledge on local ASRH issues; and there is apathy among political leaders and general members of society on the concerns of young people.

According to local government agencies, they continue to reach out to young people frequenting places in the province where high-risk behaviors are prevalent. It was also agreed during the meeting that there has to be concrete programs and services that aim to transform risky behaviors to positive behaviors among young people.

Interventions need to be sex and age-range specific too, even if programs target adolescents only.

On a survey statement that one does not get sexually transmitted infection or HIV on the first sexual intercourse, while 89 per cent of boys disagree, a surprising 60 per cent of girls agree. This pattern of response was also noted on the survey statement that a girl does not get pregnant or a boy does not get somebody pregnant on the occasion of the first sexual intercourse – while 89 per cent of boys disagree, 40 per cent of girls agree. On these specific topics alone, there is a clear need to reach out more to girls than boys in terms of awareness raising.

UNFPA supported the conduct of the situational analysis in Eastern Samar and is taking the lead in supporting the province, in coordination with various national government agencies and civil society, in addressing the ASRH concerns.

Text and photo by  Roy A. Dimayuga, UNFPA Area Programme Officer for Eastern Samar