RESEARCH

2003 National Demographic and Health Survey

Young people today need information and support to chart their path from adolescence to adulthood. The 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reveals that in the Philippines, the median age of marriage for women is 22 and one in four women has started childbearing by age 19.

Advocates for Youth Philippines (A4Y) have launched the City Youth Support Project to work with organizations in understanding both young people's current social and sexual practices and the best way is to help them avoid unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

2003 NDHS Survey:

Sexual Activity
Young unmarried women
• Among the 15-19 years old
o 1% had sex in the past 12 months
• Among the 20-24 years old
o 4% had sex in the past 12 months
Young unmarried men
• Among the 15-19 years old
o 60% had sex in the past 12 months
o 3% had multiple partners in the past 12 months
o 15% had sexual relations with another man

Fertility

Young women
• By age 19
o 1 out of 4 women are already mothers
• Among the 20-24 years old
o 1 out of 2 are already mothers
o 4 out of 10 among the 20-24 years old women have already engaged in sex
• Among the married women (20-24)
o 3 out of 10 don't want to have another child
o 5 out of 10 want another child but later
o 1 out of 4 are practicing family planning
o Most popular method use is Pill, then withdrawal, IUD and injectible
o 1 out of 4 want to practice family planning but for some reasons are not doing so due to unmet needs of family planning
Young men
• Among the 20-24 years old
o 1 out of 5 are already fathers

The use of Condom and HIV/AIDS

Among the young women and men ages 15 to 19
• 80% believe there is a way to prevent contracting AIDS
• 70% believe that if they limit having sex with one uninfected person can prevent AIDS
• 70% don't know correctly that sharing food with AIDS and mosquito bites can't transmit AIDS Virus.

60% of young women don't know that using condoms can prevent AIDS. On the contrary, 60% of young men know that using condoms can prevent AIDS, but only 20% use condom during their first sex experience.

Others Facts About Unplanned Teen Pregnancy

• More than 1/3 of young females conceive before marriage
• 30% of all births occur among women from 15-19
• 74% of all illegitimate births occur among women from 15-19
• It is estimated that 400,000 induced abortions are performed every year, 36% of which occurs among the young women's group

Source: 2002 Young Adults Fertility Survey