Poll: Teens want general info on sex

The majority of female and male Filipino adolescents want to receive general information about sex, a University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) poll found.

According to UPPI, 66 percent of female adolescents aged 15 to 19 said they would like to get general information about sex.

Thirty-one percent said they want to get pregnancy-related information; 20 percent about contraception; 19 percent about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and/or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); and six percent about sexual positions and/or techniques.

Meanwhile, 76 percent of male adolescents aged 15 to 19 said they would like to get general information about sex.

Nineteen percent said they wanted information about contraception; 16 percent about sexual positions and/or techniques; 12 percent about pregnancy-related issues; and 12 percent about STIs/HIV-AIDS.

“The adolescents have spoken, and their needs are clear. Young women are seeking reliable information on sex and pregnancy, while young men are focused on learning about sex and contraception,” the UPPI noted.

“It’s time to ensure that every young person has the resources to make informed choices,” it said.

The UPPI conducted the poll amid the discussions surrounding Senate Bill No. 1979, or the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, a piece of legislation that aims to address the alarming rise in teenage pregnancies in the country.

CSE included

Included in the bill is the Comprehensive Sexual Education which covers topics such as human sexuality, informed consent, effective contraceptive use, HIV/AIDS and STIs, sexual abuse and exploitation, gender equality and equity, and gender-based violence, among others.

The National Coalition for the Family and the Constitution has opposed the CSE, claiming that some of its provisions have inappropriate concepts and threaten “moral, societal, and spiritual values.”

This was refuted by several child rights advocates and groups, as well as Senator Risa Hontiveros, the principal author of the bill.

Hontiveros slammed the misinformation, disinformation, and fear-mongering being associated with the bill.

Contrary to the claim of oppositor Project Dalisay, Hontiveros said the Senate bill has no provisions on teaching or encouraging masturbation to children aged zero to four years.

Do this for country

Child rights advocates, on the other hand, assured that the CSE is “age-appropriate and “culturally-sensitive.”

A Palawan-based reproductive health non-government organization emphasized on Friday that the CSE would reduce teen pregnancy.

In a statement, Ugat ng Kalusugan (Roots of Health) maintained the CSE would reduce teenage pregnancies and maternal and child mortality.

“We’ve seen this happen in Palawan where we taught 100,000 students and trained 6,500 teachers in CSE in 15 years,” the group said.

“Largely because of our education efforts, teen pregnancies in Puerto Princesa decreased 60 percent. Let’s do this for the whole country,” it said.