Reproductive Health Bill on Teenage Pregnancy

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Reproductive Health Bill on Teenage Pregnancy

 

Teenagers have never been as socially active as they are today. Apparently, many of them are blinded by their false assumption that they’re judicious and emotionally guarded in handling relationships toward the opposite sex.  Thus, they tend to act on their own accord. Apparently, puerile acts lead to an ill-timed pregnancy. As expected, tears, blames, and regrets outpour.

Teenage pregnancy rates on the rise

Early pregnancy has been a social issue ever since. It has been in our culture since the olden times. However, the problem today is the fact that this issue has not declined, rather teenage pregnancy continues to mount and worsen through the years. Do you know that in 2009 seven out of every ten pregnant women are teenagers?

Could it be that the present society has grown tolerance over the issue? In the past, early pregnancy is a social stigma. Now, teenagers involved in early pregnancy are censured but not as heavily as before. This can be a good and a bad thing. We no longer regard early pregnancy in teens as their doom. However, it could also mean we’ve lost hope and pregnancy is something we cannot stifle.

Negative impact of untimely and unplanned pregnancy

Early pregnancy is appalling because of its undesirable consequences. Young moms have to deal with pregnancy, which is physically demanding. The body of an expecting teenager is still developing and therefore not favorable to the baby. Teenage pregnancy is not only precarious to the health of the young mother but also of the baby’s. The problem does not end after pregnancy. In fact, problems are just piling up soon after pregnancy.

The next and much bigger challenge after pregnancy is child rearing. Because of lack of sufficient experience and emotional maturity, young parents raising a child may fail to provide adequate support and care.

RH Bill on worsening teenage pregnancy rate

There is hardly any law aimed to curtail the growing teenage pregnancy in the Philippines. Thus, the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill is proposed. The Bill if passed will help prevent teenage pregnancy by educating the children about value formation, self-protection, sexual violence, abuse, fertility, rights, and teen pregnancy. It would also teach early on about responsible relationship, different family methods, parenthood, and other essential role a parent partakes after pregnancy.

Pregnancy is supposed to be a moment of celebration. However, today’s reality is far from such an idyllic tenet. Sex in teenagers has become more vernacular and sexual innuendoes have become more straightforward. Thus, we need to pass more laws to address teenage pregnancy and to help teen mothers cope with and remain hopeful for a better life even after pregnancy.

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