DAVAO CITY — Seven of the 140 cases of teenage pregnancy in Agusan del Sur are still ten years old to fourteen years old, the Rural Health Unit of Trento town in Agusan del Sur reported.
In January this year, twelve cases of teenage pregnancy were reported in Trento town.
Trento is a first-class municipality with 16 Barangays, it is located in the Southeastern corner of the Agusan del Sur, a province of Caraga Region. It is the home for 54,492 inhabitants according to the Philippine Statistics Authority survey in 2020.
Raycel Lamberto, chief of the Health Education Promotion at RHU Trento ADS during an interview with Radyo Centro revealed that in 2023 they recorded 140 cases of early pregnancy, and the youngest age was 10 years old.
In January 2024, the office recorded twelve (12) cases of Teenage Pregnancy and the youngest was 15 years old.
The RHU record showed that in 2023 140 teenage pregnancies were recorded in Trento teen-year-old girl was the youngest.
Of the 140 cases, 7 with ages 10 to 14 while 133 with ages 15 to 19.
The officer urged the children to avoid sexual activity and that education is a priority and also avoid friends who cannot have a good influence, especially in doing bad things that should not be done as teenagers
Lamberto said, “I do not know what advice their parents gave but we cannot solely blame the parents.”
In 2021, the Civil Registry Statistics of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported two registered live births from girls as young as 10 years old from the National Capital Region (NCR) and Region 4-A (Calabarzon), both of which have a relatively high population.
Health authorities say the cases of teenage pregnancy are risky and that expectant mothers should take care as it might result in pre-term delivery and severe neonatal conditions.
As reported by the World Health Organization, complications during pregnancy and childbirth are still the leading causes of death for 15- and 19-year-old girls globally.
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