A CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX

EDUCATION AND COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION

ON TEENAGE PREGNANCY RATES

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 2

By:

Sabriah Len M. Aron

Zian Kyle S. Labra

Sophia Marie F. Limocon

Jackylou Rose T. Melecio

Jeshinemae S. Melencion

October, 2023
A CAUSAL-COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ABSTINENCE-ONLY SEX

EDUCATION AND COMPREHENSIVE SEX EDUCATION

ON TEENAGE PREGNANCY RATES

___________________________________________________

A Research Paper

Presented to the

Senior High School Department

of MATER DEI COLLEGE

Tubigon, Bohol

____________________________________________________

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Subject

Practical Research 1

of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand

____________________________________________________

Sabriah Len M. Aron

Zian Kyle S. Labra

Sophia Marie F. Limocon

Jackylou Rose T. Melecio

Jeshinemae S. Melencion

October 2023
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Rationale

One of the most pressing issues Filipino youth are facing today is teenage

pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy is a prominent societal problem in the

Philippines, with extensive repercussions for individuals, families, and society. In

December 2012, the government of the Philippines passed a landmark law

known as the 'Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012,'

also referred to as the Reproductive Health (RH) Act. This act provides

government funding for contraceptives and sexuality education in the public

school curriculum. According to this bill, sex education should be age-appropriate

and taught to students aged 10 to 19 in both primary and secondary schools. The

RH Act also provides free or subsidized contraceptives, which are stocked at

government health centers and made available to people experiencing poverty

(DOH Philippines, 2011; GMA News, 2012).

Teenage pregnancy rates in the Philippines were already a concern

before the COVID-19 pandemic, and for nine consecutive years, adolescent

pregnancy numbers continued to rise. According to the Commission on

Population and Development (PopCom), committee chairperson Faustino

Michael Dy III, in 2019, the Philippines was ranked second among Southeast

Asian countries with the highest adolescent birth rate at 5.9 percent for girls aged

15 to 19. To address the expected rise in cases during the current epidemic,
President Rodrigo Duterte prioritized teenage pregnancies. He signed Executive

Order No. 141, emphasizing the importance of taking action against the root

causes of adolescent pregnancy and making it a national priority. Duterte

ordered the mobilization of existing coordinative and legal mechanisms related to

preventing adolescent pregnancies and encouraged organizations to develop

interventions, one of which is sex education.

According to Advocates for Youth, sex education provides information

about bodily development, sex, sexuality, relationships, and skills-building to help

young people communicate and make informed decisions about sex and their

sexual health. Sex education should be integrated into a student’s grade level,

with information tailored to their development and cultural background. The

curriculum should cover topics such as puberty and reproduction, abstinence,

contraception and condoms, relationships, sexual violence prevention, body

image, gender identity, and sexual orientation. It should be grounded in empirical

facts about the most effective methods for preventing unwanted pregnancy and

sexually transmitted illnesses. Moreover, it should uphold the rights of young

individuals to receive comprehensive and truthful information, recognizing sexual

development as a natural and inherent aspect of human development.

This research aims to analyze and compare the experiences and

knowledge related to various approaches to sexual education for teenagers, with

a specific focus on the implications of sexual activity and the risk of pregnancy. It
seeks to identify the factors influencing their decision-making processes and the

challenges they face. By examining these factors, this research aims to identify

and consider strategies and programs that can influence teenagers' subsequent

decisions and their perceptions of an "ideal" approach to sex education. This

research may generate ideas for improving more efficient and responsive sex

education and utilization.

The findings of this research have significant implications that should be

taken into consideration by teenagers, parents, organizations, policymakers,

healthcare providers, and other stakeholders in the field of reproductive health.

By providing, promoting, and implementing different approaches, strategies, and

programs for sexuality education, we can empower teenagers to make

autonomous and informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health,

contributing to the overall well-being of teenagers and communities.

This study aims to compare the experiences and knowledge of the different

approaches to sexual education of teenagers of Tubigon, Bohol, concerning their

sexual activity and risk of pregnancy. Specifically, this study sought to answer the

following questions:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of the following

variables:

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

1.3 Relegion

1.4 Level of Education

1.5 Socioeconomic Status

2. How do the following various sources of information influence respondent’s

perspective on sex education?

2.1 Family

2.2 Friends

2.3 Educational Institutions

2.4 Healthcare Providers

2.5 Media

3. To what extent do different approaches to sexual abstinence-only and

comparative sex education, impact respondent’s sexual activity and rates of

teenage pregnancy?
4. Is there a significant relationship between the demographic characteristics of

teenagers and their preferences for specific methods of sexual education?