Iloilo City – To curb the rising number of teenage pregnancy, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) wants the Filipino youth to have greater access to the government’s family planning program.
Klaus Beck, UNPFA Philippine representative, said there is a need for youth inclusion in the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012.
During the recent “Babaenihan” (community for women) talk at University of the Philippines (UP Visayas) in Iloilo City, Beck pointed out that the Filipino youth is left out since the law specifically requires parental consent for those who are below 18 years old.
“There are young people where parental is not an option. That means they don’t have access to the services they need on their own,” Beck noted.
A 2015 UNPFA study found that the Philippines, a predominantly Catholic nation, is the only country in Southeast Asia where teenage pregnancy is still rising. (Tara Yap)
