Advocacy About Teenage Pregnancy and STDs Among Senior High School Students

Background of the Problem

Nowadays, the increasing youth involved of having STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) such as HIV/AIDS with the Philippines is the fastest increasing of percentage in Asia-pacific according to United Nations (UN) with a 19.85% new cases as of 2017 in the February 2018 in the report of the Department of Health (Regencia, 2018), the increasing number of teenage pregnancy, as it was revealed that as of 2018, there are 10 million cases of teenage pregnancy in the Philippines (Galeon, 2018) and the 1.82 million unwanted pregnancies every year of each Filipino family (Cabral, 2009). These outraising cases in the Philippines have led to make policies and laws about reproductive healthcare system such as the reproductive health reform law implanted in 2012. The government and NGOs are doing their certain roles to provide awareness and reduce the high number of these cases. They mostly focus in the youth because of many are involved, decisions of implementing sex education in basic education levels has been made to educate young generations of reproductive healthcare and responsible parenthood, even though it is still not had been confirmed because of the contradiction of the church and most disagree with this being implemented.

This project has been made by the researches to fully educate the senior high school students of Far Eastern University-High School who are part of the youth about reproductive health. Raising awareness is the key for knowledge and prevention of unwanted teenage pregnancies, sexual diseases and responsible parenthood. Through informative discussions, students will able to comprehend how significant reproductive health in our country and personal life. The influence of good management and knowledge in good care of reproductive health of each person can lessen these numbered cases in the Philippines. Students need to know the impact of these numbers in our country and each fellow Filipino with an overview of how the reproductive health state in Philippines and the world throughout the years. As Junice Lirza (2018) said, the one who channels the sexuality education must have a normative change to effectively teach the adolescents and she thinks that this is a way to respond of high rates of teenage pregnancy and HIV/AIDS.

Significance of the Project

The significance of this project is to give students a great knowledge and perspective in relation to the vast information about the state of having a complete physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system. Mostly teenagers will benefit on this project to increase awareness and attention to Senior High School Students health care needs by highlighting key changes in their reproductive health and factors that influence it. Sexually active to both sexes are at high risk of getting sexually transmitted disease like HIV/AIDS and they are poorly not informed on how to protect themselves. This will promote advocacy to those who are in needs especially teenagers who are at risk and mostly affected on this kind of topic, proper way of protecting and additional knowledge about prevention. Senior High School Students may be thought about sex and learn the importance about menstruation, personal hygiene, teenage pregnancy, contraception and consequences. Furthermore, this project will give the following benefits:

• The increased awareness of Senior High School Students of the health needs, including the reproductive and sexual needs that not yet given necessary information and services.
• Recognize the needs of the Senior High School Students and implementing appropriate programs, such as information and education on sexual and reproductive health issues and on possible sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS.
• Provide knowledge on how they will be able to avoid this kind of sexual issue and to avoid triggering effects like abortion or use of improper contraception and early pregnancy.

Project Description

The concept paper aims to provide information on all aspects of reproductive health among senior high school students so that they are aware of the changes they are taking, the significance of parenthood, and the awareness of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. An initiative literacy reproductive health among senior high school students proposal focuses on the goal of education on sexuality and reproductive health, protecting the health of young people by reducing high-risk pregnancies, awareness of future family planning and responsible parenthood, to enable young people to develop and improve their knowledge, social skills, and decision-making, preparing them for their adult-hood in good sexual health. This project concept paper has includes purposes that contains information about sexual reproductive health including puberty, pregnancy, abortion, and education on sexually transmitted diseases other than HIV/AIDS.

Project Overview

Project Objectives

The main objective of this study is to address aspects of the Senior High School Students’ mindset relevant to their reproductive health.

Specifically, the study is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• To enhance the knowledge, skill and attitude of the students on sexual and reproductive health
• To make the students and their families be informed about their decisions and be responsible with their reproductive health.
• To reduce the rates of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents.
• To guide the students to be free from unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion and sexual violence.
• To have the right to accurate information and appropriate reproductive health services.

Plan of Action

This project aims to give students specifically the senior high school students to be knowledgeable and to be aware concerning about their reproductive health. The project will be carried out by adding reproductive health subject to all senior high school students. The said subject will be divided into two parts:

• Grade 11
• Grade 12

1. Introduction to Reproductive system and Reproductive health
2. Pregnancy
3. Health problems and how to avoid them
4. Child bearing
5. Sexually Transmitted Diseases Awareness
6. Family Planning & Parenthood
7. Proper care for reproductive health
8. Contraception and birth controls
9. Fertility and Infertility
10. Proper hygiene and care

This project will give written assessments and projects. Project and assignment topics will only limit on the adequate and appropriate learning that a student should learn. The project will also conduct a programs and seminars to raise awareness and counsel the youth about reproductive health.

Intended Outcomes

Awareness and understanding are the most intended outcomes in this project. As a part of the youth, senior high school students must learn from discussions and have depth knowledge within family planning and reproductive health.

It is supposed that when the said project proposal will be pursued the following are the expected outcomes:

• The students will be aware about their reproductive health
• The awareness of how can STDs like HIV/AIDS be infected and preventing these diseases
• The in-depth understanding in the importance of family planning and utilizing contraceptives and birth
• To lessen the number of cases in the Philippines, mostly involving youth or the young generations

Project Costs and Needs

Personnel and Equipment Needed

The proposed budget for the proposal for an initiative Literacy of reproductive health among senior Hugh school students is approximately PHP 80,000 (Eighty thousand pesos).

Bibliography

1. Administrator. (n.d.). SRH Program Objectives. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://decethiopia.org/index.php/sexual-and-reproductive-health/23-objectives-of-the-program
2. Area 3: Reproductive Health. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://www.ohioadolescenthealth.org/area-3-reproductive-health.html
3. Cabral, E. (2009). Reproductive Healthcare in the Philippines. State of Reproductive Health in the Philippines. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/attachments/131112_EsperanzaCabral_PublicHealthinthePhilippines.pdf.
4. Galeon, D. (2018, May 13). The Pregnant Teen: A Growing Problem? Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/13/the-pregnant-teen-a-growing-problem/
5. Montemayor, T. (2018, October 19). Inclusive sex education to solve early pregnancy, HIV in teens. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1051613
6. Regencia, T. (2018, February 19). Philippines: HIV cases up 3,147 percent in 10 years. Retrieved January 20, 2019, from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/philippines-hiv-cases-3147-percent-10-years-180219090618348.html