Sex Among Pinoy Teens : It's Shockingly Common

            

              Yes .  More and more Filipino teenagers  are having sex. More and more Filipino girls are getting pregnant .

              Look at these numbers .

• ·        Based on 2013 data  obtained by the National Demographic and Health Survey  , 32% of Filipinos  aged  15 to 19 , that’s about 6.2 million , were having  pre-marital sex . This is much higher than the 23% figure in 2002.
• ·        Based  also on 2013 data , 14%  of Filipino girls    aged 15 to 19   were either pregnant or are already mothers.
• ·        Every hour , 24 babies are born to teenage mothers
• ·        Among the six major economies in Southeast Asia , the Philippines  has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy  and is the only country where the rate is increasing. ( and that's  even in comparison with Western countries like the USA  )

What is happening  here ?  What factors have led to these  alarming numbers ?

One factor is the media.  A study in the US says that the average  teenager  spends nine hours a day using media :  that means   internet , TV  ,  radio . Filipino teens are not far behind this figure since the Philippines has been identified as one of the heaviest users of the media .Both the internet and the mainstream media  have  widespread sexual content , whether explicit or implicit . Pornographic websites  are very accessible . Sex videos  are just a click away . Even Facebook is awash  with photos of couples in sexual gestures such as  kissing ,   necking and even outright  fornication. 

According to a study , 80% of movies shown on cable television have sexual content . On the other hand ,  60 %  of music videos have the same type of graphic content .  And then ,  there are the local  TV shows --- from soap operas , to gag shows , and even news  programs --- that may not directly promote sex, but  are doing so in subtle ways  through  suggestive scenes ,  double-meaning dialogues,   provocative  clothes  and  other  indirect ways that  brainwash young minds into expressing their sexuality . Every day ,young people see  enticing images  and scenes  glorifying youthful  romance .

Experts say that  children and teens  who use the media for prolonged hours are at risk of accepting what they see as the norm . Their  social and cognitive skills are not yet  fully developed , and so ,  they  are very impressionable . Thus ,young people tend to believe the stereotypes they see on the media.

The media is not the lone culprit , of course . Lack of parental monitoring and guidance  is another reason for the shocking figures.  Economic pressures force both parents to work .  Many of them  are too tired and too busy to  check on  their children .  Also , many of them  are  digitally illiterate , making  it  hard for them  to monitor their children’s online activities .

Moreover , there are now  10 million OFWs many of  whom have left their children  behind. Although there is no definitive study saying that children of OFWs  are the ones getting  into pre-marital  sex ,  common sense  tells us that  parental absence  has negative effects on children. 

It is  important  to note  that most parents  do not know how to talk to their kids about sex.  Most don’t even mention it at all .  Those who mention it don’t know what words to use .  Teens  nowadays are watching  high definition hard core sex   videos  in some dark ,  remote corners  --- and here is the parent  mumbling  figurative  words  like  “ the birds  and the bees .”

Another reason is  the open  social environment. The existing family structure  , the freedom  of  mobility , the teenagers’ vigilance  on their “ human rights” ,   the permissive  spectators  . Filipino teenagers have so much freedom. Unfortunately ,many  of them  abuse that freedom to the point of self-destruction . They  do whatever they want to do  , wherever  and whenever  they want to do it . It comes as a shock to many parents , but that’s the naked  truth --- literally .

The last reason is that  adolescence is really a dangerous phase  of  life . Teenagers have raging hormones . They like thrills and adventures .  They are curious about their bodies  .They love and hate  excessively . Teenagers  are always  riding  in  an emotional roller coaster.  Jumping for joy  this minute , and weeping in  the next . These young people  respectfully and silently nod in the class ,  at dinner tables , in churches , in recollections ----but once  out of the adults’  radar , they go on a rampage. 

But if teenagers will blame their  hormones , the media , the society  and the parents for their risky sexual behavior ---that  would be unfair  and  irresponsible . That is running away from  accountability.  If teenagers these days  can understand so many complex concepts in the curriculum , there’s no reason  why  they would not understand the causes and the effects  of these shocking statistics.   If they want to , teenagers  can control themselves and behave  with reason    and  caution . They can act with maturity and wisdom  if properly  guided  by adults.

Parents ,teachers , church leaders  and government officials  should  come up with more aggressive  and  more creative steps to curb this problem. For so many years , we have been advocating abstinence   and self-control .  We have been  telling teens  stuff like  " Respect yourself. " and  " True love waits. " . But how many are listening ?It’s time to re-think  our approach to this problem.  We can try a combination of frank  communication ,  school lessons  on sexuality  and contraception ,  diplomacy and an occasional iron fist .

( Data are from rappler.com , Feb. 4, 2014 ;  abc.net.au , [ an Australian media organization ]  March 24 , 2014 ;  inquirer.net , May 15 , 2014  ; www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov;  pediatrics.aappublications.org )