THE Iloilo City Population Office (CPO) posted a decrease in teenage pregnancy cases in the metropolis in 2017 compared to that of 2016.
Last year, CPO recorded 583 teenage pregnancy cases which were lower by 108 cases or 15.62 percent from 691 cases in previous year.
Teenage pregnancy refers to adolescents aging 10 to 19 years old who got impregnated.
CPO recorded 111 teenage pregnancy cases in first quarter of 2018.
“The decrease of recorded teenage pregnancy is a manifestation of City Government’s drive to lead our teenagers to what is good for them. Rest assured that the City Government will do its best to give attention to our youth and organize programs as part of the Pag-ulikid sa Pamatan-on,” Mayor Jose Espinosa III said.
“We really look forward that the cases of teenage pregnancy for 2018 would be way lower than the past two years. In order to achieve this, we will give our utmost services to the youth through IEC advocacy both for youth in-school and out-of-school,” City Population Program Officer III Rachel Lapascua said.
She added the Iloilo City Information Service Delivery Network (IISDN) refers pregnant adolescents to various national agencies that could help them.
The IISDN is a network of facilities, institutions, and providers in city, health and social system offering information, training, and core packages of health and social care services in an integrated and coordinated manner.
City Population program officer II Florence Galanto cited that the information, education and communication (IEC) campaign of City Government was among the factors in the decrease of teenage pregnancy cases.
The City Government through the Population Office has various activities such as adolescent health program including Youth for You (U4U) Teen Trail and Healthy Young Ones.
“We conduct interactive activities to reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and other related diseases,” Galanto said.
The U4U Teen Trail is a campaign to prevent early sex among teens. The Healthy Young Ones is an IEC material for 10 to 19 years old that focuses on adolescent sexual and reproductive health to help adolescents communicate with health providers.
City Population program officer II Ma. Cecilia Guillergan said among the reasons of early pregnancy were curiosity on sex, rebellion towards parents, lack of parents’ guidance, and improper use of social media.