PEER COUNSELORS. Students of the Antique National School in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique train as peer counselors in this undated photo. Antique Provincial Population Office head Primo Ogatis said on Monday (Feb. 13, 2023) that they have massive social behavioral change communication and training of peer counselors to help in the campaign to reduce teenage pregnancy. (Courtesy of Antique Provincial Population Office)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique Provincial Population Office (PPO) is conducting massive social behavioral change communication or information and education campaigns to schools and villages to reduce teenage pregnancy.
PPO head Primo Ogatis said on Monday that teenage pregnancy in Antique has increased by 67 cases in 2022 or a total of 1,103 cases from the previous 1,036 pregnancies in 2021.
“The teenage pregnancy from 10 to 19 years old has increased in 2022 because the teenagers felt more freedom after the lifting of the movement restrictions in Antique,” Ogatis said.
He said that in 2021, there were only 19 cases of teenage pregnancy among 10- to 14-year-olds while for the 15 to 19 years old, there were 1,036.
Ogatis said that in 2022, the figure increased to 22 among 10 to 14 years old while for the 15 to 19 years old, there were already 1,081.
The reported 67 incidents of teenage pregnancy in 2022 are only the cases so far reported to have availed prenatal services at rural health units and other health facilities.
“We urge the teenagers to seek prenatal services so that they could be given vitamins,” Ogatis said.
He said that teenage pregnancy is risky and may cause malnutrition in children without a prenatal check-up.
“We have ongoing massive training of peer counselors at the teen centers in the schools and of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials so they could help us,” Ogatis said.
There are around 23 teen centers established in different schools throughout the province where trained students serve as peer counselors.
They discuss adolescent health and youth development programs with their fellow students who come to the center during their vacant period.
“The Department of Education teachers are also being urged to integrate in their subjects the comprehensive sexuality education so that the students would be able to know what to do during their puberty stage,” Ogatis said.
The SK officials in the municipalities are likewise encouraged to help campaign against teenage pregnancy, aside from the sports activities that they usually conduct.
Ogatis said that amid the increase, the province still has the second lowest teenage pregnancy incidents in Western Visayas. (PNA)
