Chapter II

Review of Related Literature

Adolescent pregnancy is an issue with a significant societal impact worldwide. It is a

huge concern on the economy, education, and social of many countries. Over the years, the cases

of early pregnancy have been extensively high. According to the World Health Organization

(2022), adolescents aged 15-19 years old in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has an

estimated of 21 million pregnancies each year, in particular which approximately 50% were

unsupervised and which resulted in an estimated 12 million births. Additionally, according to the

Philippine Statistics Authority (2018), one out of every ten Filipino teenagers becomes pregnant,

making the Philippines the only Asia Pacific country with a significant increase in teenage

pregnancy.

Contributing Factors to Adolescent Childbearing

Research shows that causes of adolescent pregnancy are resulted of many factors. In

particular, family, peer, community, and societal influence are among the major reasons for early

pregnancy of adolescent girls (Gatbonton, 2021). Also, Soba (2020) affirm that some of the main

causes of teenage pregnancy in the developing countries include weak policies and measures

aimed at dealing with the vice, uncivilized cultural beliefs, limited access to sex education, and

high illiteracy levels.

In many societies, females deal with cultural and traditional pressures to marry and

conceive. Globally, the approximate number of minor brides in 2021 was 650 million. Having a
family at a young age places girls at an increased risk of being pregnant because girls who are

married lack decision-making about delaying childbearing and contraceptive use (WHO, 2022).

Peer pressure is also triggered by a lack of education among young females who engage in

premarital sexual activity. High rates of adolescent pregnancy are prevalent among females

susceptible to peer pressure. (Soba, 2020). Peer pressure has the ability to risk people's futures

while putting their logic aside and not giving it a thought (Gavin et al., 2018).

Another cause of the ascent in teenage pregnancy in most of the developing countries is

the minimal or lack of access to sex education and information on reproductive health (Soba,

2020). In many areas, contraceptives are not easily accessible to adolescents. Even if adolescents

have access to contraceptives, they may lack the motivation or financial means to pay for them,

as well as the knowledge of where to obtain them and how to use them properly. They may

encounter stigma when seeking contraceptives. In addition, they are more likely to discontinue

use due to adverse effects, changing life circumstances, and altered reproductive intentions.

Laws and policies that limit the provision of contraceptives based on age or marital status make

it hard for adolescents to get and use contraceptives. This is frequently combined with health

worker bias and/or unwillingness to recognize adolescents' sexual health demands (WHO, 2022).

In the majority of these schools, sexual education and reproductive health education are not

included in the curriculum. In doing so, it prevents adolescent girls and boys from

comprehending the consequences of engaging in premarital intercourse. Due to the absence of

sexual education in schools, young females are susceptible to early marriage (Soba, 2020). In a

research conducted by Meameko et al. (2018), learners believed that their lack of knowledge

about sexuality and reproductive education was one of the contributing factors to adolescent

pregnancy. They blamed a lack of parental care, control and supervision, for some single parent
families’ inability to adequately support their children, which led to some of them becoming

pregnant. They claimed that the majority of parents neglected their own children by failing to

meet their demand, thus putting them at risk of seeking comfort, acceptance and consolation

through sexual activities. According to these students, drugs and alcohol addiction was another

contributing factor. They explained that when under the influence of drugs and alcohol, they

make impulsive decisions, resulting in pregnancy. Despite the availability of contraceptive

methods, incidental pregnancy rates arise. They found that unplanned pregnancy frequently

occurs among partners who misuse or do not use contraception (Gavin et al., 2018).

Poverty such as that found in low- and lower-middle-income nations, is a serious issue

that play a significant, cyclical, and increasing roles in the education level and adolescent

pregnancy rate (Mohr et al, 2019). Poverty is closely related to adolescent childbirth because it

makes it difficult for young mothers to attend education and find suitable career possibilities

(Gatbonton, 2021). According to the World Bank (2019), most of the world’s poor are

uneducated rural adolescents under the age of 18 who lack opportunities and rely on agricultural

labor. Poverty restricts liberty, opportunities, and resources and creates powerlessness, exclusion,

and vulnerability. Such vulnerabilities can increase the likelihood of a lack of education and

adolescent pregnancy. For instance, impoverishment can motivate adolescents to engage in early

marriage and abandon their education. Pregnancy is more prevalent among adolescents with no

formal education, a lower education lever, or who are not enrolled in school (Mohr et al., 2019).

In developing economies, low levels of education also contribute to the rise in adolescent

pregnancy. Low literacy levels are why some families adhere to cultures that permit early

marriage for their females. Such cultures result in high adolescent pregnancy rates, particularly

in developing nations. When young females are forced to leave school to marry at a young age,
their educational goals are hindered. In developing economies, backward cultures are also linked

to high pregnancy rates. For instance, some African communities emphasize the importance of

educating male children, while female children are denied an education and are instead married

for money. Such mentalities and ancient cultures contribute to the rise of adolescent pregnancy

in developing nations. Teaching students in schools about the adverse effects of their cultures

can assist in eliminating the effects of traditions on high rates of adolescent pregnancy (Soba,

2020).

More so, the fact that today's adolescents are growing up in a culture in which peers,

television and movies, music, and magazine usually transmit either covert or overt messages on

unmarried sexual relationships (specifically those involving teenagers) are accepted as normal

and at times expected behaviors has enormously contributed to the lack of morals that is

widespread among our youths and most parents pay less attention to their children. Although the

educational system promotes education as the foundation of responsible sexual behavior and

specific information about the negative impact of sexual intercourse, including adolescent

pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and psychological effects, it is not often provided in

the home or community settings. Students appear to perform poorly in this area, as many become

impregnated each year. Therefore, much of the sexual education adolescents receive is mediated

through misinformed and/or unified peers (Maemeko et. al., 2018).

Consequences of Adolescent Pregnancy

Adolescent pregnancy is known to have physical, emotional, and psychological

outcomes. Despite these dangers, many adolescent Filipino women continue to have unintended

pregnancies. Young mothers are more likely to go through abortions that are illegal and unsafe,
which could result in disease and even death. Children born to these younger mothers were also

prone to having low birth weights, preterm births, and severe neonatal conditions compared to

those born from older mothers (Pepito et al., 2021). Physically, it impacts the adolescent mother

because both her body and the growing baby are stressed during pregnancy. Socially, adolescent

pregnancy affects family roles and community functioning significantly. (Gatbonton, 2021).

Adolescent pregnancy is also linked with a higher risk of health issues such as preeclampsia,

anemia, contracting STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), premature delivery, postpartum

hemorrhage, and poor mental health outcomes (National Nutrition Council, 2021). Adolescent

pregnancies are the leading cause of death globally for girls ages 15 to 19, associated with

known causes of adverse health and pregnancy-related complications (World Health

Organization, 2022). Teenage females aged 15 to 19 are twice as likely as women in their

twenties to die from pregnancy-related complications. The mortality rate for females under 15

years old is four times that of women in their twenties (Mathewos & Mekuria, 2018). Herbon et

al. (2022) claims adolescents who reside in countries where abortion is illegal or severely

restricted are more likely to undergo unsafe abortions, placing their health and lives at risk.

Approximately 3.9 million 15- to 19- year-old females in developing countries undergo unsafe

abortions yearly.

The authors Mathewos & Mekuria (2018) stated that adolescent pregnancy has also long-

term social consecquensces for teenagers, their children, families, and communities; it has

resulted in lower educational attainment and high school dropouts, poor health, and poverty.

Children of adolescent mothers are also likely to have lower school achievement and drop out of

high school, to have greater health problems, to become incarcerated at a certain point during

adolescence, to give birth as a teen, and to experience unemployment as a young adult. Teenage
pregnancy is one of the most unfavorable and often unintended consequences of adolescent

sexual engagement. Teens are encouraged to engage in unprotected intercourse at a young age in

order to expose them to young motherhood. Many pregnant teenagers must drop out of school,

which has long-term consequences for them as individuals, their families, and their communities.

Parents and peers may stigmatize, reject, and threaten adolescents who are pregnant and

unmarried. Domestic abuse is more prevalent among girls who become pregnant before the age

of 18 (Herbon et al., 2022).

Impact of Adolescent Pregnancy on the Educational System

Today's socioeconomic situation brings new challenges that affect the future of children.

Although there is now more access to education, a good education no longer guarantees a teen's

future. The rising teenage pregnancy crisis has negatively impacted young people.

Teen pregnancy is a problem in education that impacts both developed and developing

economies. Early childbearing and the eventual dropout of students from school are problems

that afflict the entire education sector in developing countries. Roughly 20,000 females under the

age of 18 give birth daily in developing countries (Soba, 2020). Adolescent pregnancy and

teenage parenthood are significant factors in most girls dropping out and leaving school.

Childbearing disturbs the educational process of girls, and as a result, many pregnant teens leave

school and never return. Teenage pregnancy is one of the social problems that affect society. The

prevalence of teenage pregnancy affects the development and education of the student. Teenage

mothers, commonly secondary students, are unlikely to graduate from high school education.

The unfulfilled schooling of secondary learners has less opportunity for life-earning potential,

which could make them improve and have a better life (Maemeko et al., 2018).
 Teenage mothers face many challenges as they live as mothers and students

simultaneously. In addition, adolescent pregnancy and motherhood were indicators of poor

economic outcomes, as the young mother would need to find means to pay childbearing and

childrearing costs. (Shpiegel & Cascardi, 2018). Adolescent pregnancy compromises young girls'

development opportunities and hinders them from formal education, resulting in employment

and productive disadvantages while making them vulnerable to poverty, violence, crime, and

social exclusion (Miquilena & Lara 2021).

Teenage Pregnancy and Learners’ Performance

In the study of Maemeko et al. (2018), adolescent pregnancy is a major problem that can

negatively affect a girl's future. According to the respondents, teens typically lack the skills

required to manage pregnancy and motherhood. Teachers also reported that when comparing a

student's academic performance before and after pregnancy, there is a significant distinction due

to the fact that pregnant students miss a great deal of schoolwork, including lessons, homework,

exams, etc. The teachers cite pregnancy-related issues and exhaustion, mainly when the girl is

about to give birth, as causes of absences. According to some educators, the academic

performance of a pregnant adolescent depends on the learner's intelligence. Also, teenage

mothers begin to develop a negative attitude toward their schoolwork, which causes them to

focus on the responsibility of their children and neglect their future. Pregnant adolescent mothers

will have fallen behind in school by the time they are on maternity leave. According to the

findings of their study, the poor academic performance of pregnant and mothering adolescents is

caused, in particular, to the dual responsibilities of the affected students.

` According to Nkosi & Pretorius (2019), educators have noticed that teenage pregnancy

primarily affects school attendance. Moreover, educators stated that babysitting arrangements

and the health of the child have an impact on school attendance because, in many cases,

teenagers have no one to care for their infants, so they must keep up with school while also

taking care of the child, which is overwhelming for them. In addition, the authors argued that

early pregnancy results in young mothers ending their studies. They observed that a delay in

returning to school could decrease the likelihood of pursuing further education and academic

performance. Likewise, pregnancy increases the possibility of failing a grade. However, for those

who remain in school or return after giving birth, it can affect their grades and, at times, their

academic progress. As a result of balancing childbearing and schoolwork, the academic

performance of many students deteriorated.