EXPLICITLY AVAILABLE: A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF PORNOGRAPHY

EXPOSURE INFLUENCING TEENAGE PREGNANT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN

IRIGA

Members:

Andrei John Ciudad

James Brian Borromeo

Allysa Mae Senaon

 Table of Contents

Chapter I

The Problem

Introduction 1-3

Statement of the Problem 3-4

Assumptions 4-5

Hypothesis 5-6

Scope and Delimitations 6

Significance of the Study 7

Definition of Terms 8-10

Chapter II

Review of Related Literature and Studies

Related Literatures 11-14

Related Studies 14-17

Theoretical Framework 17-19

Conceptual Framework
 Introduction

Background of the Study

Teenage pre-marital pregnancy has become a worrying trend in most countries (Singh &
Darroch, 2000; Ekstrand et al., 2005; Chandra et al., 2008). In the United States, the percentage
of out-of-wedlock birth among teenagers less than 20 years ago was 23% (National Vital
Statistics Report, 2009). In Malaysia, 4500 out of 18000 (i.e. about 25%) teenagers were
reported to be pregnant outside of a marriage (The Star, 2013). The occurrence of teenage pre-
marital pregnancy can potentially lead to many social issues such as an increased risk of
morbidity. For example, previous studies have consistently reported that teenage pregnancy has
an increased risk for pre-term delivery (Gilbert et al., 2004; Fraser et al., 1995; Gortzak-Uzan,
2001; Igwegbe & Udigwe, 2001; Jolly, 2000). There are many factors that could contribute to
teenage pre-marital pregnancy. One of it is frequent exposure to sexually explicit materials or
pornography. In this modern world, the Internet is ubiquitous in an adolescent’s life (UCLA,
2003), and hence, it has a significant impact on adolescent development (Finkelhor et al., 2000).
Although young people may reap many benefits from using the Internet (Fox et al., 2000;
Lenhart et al., 2001), previous studies have shown that laissez-faire nature of Internet use among
young people pushes them to start exploring pornographic websites (Lenhart et al., 2000; Stahl &
Fritz, 2002). Teenagers often have a positive attitude towards casual sex, and a result, sexual
activity becomes a normal part of their social development (Berg, 1998). One of the major
causes is frequent exposure to pornographic materials. Sexually explicit materials which may
contain pornography, is freely available to the public because of its widespread distribution by
the mass media and is easily accessible (especially via the internet). The exposure towards
sexually explicit material may influence an individual’s attitude. This is supported by the social
learning theory which suggests that an individual learns attitudes by observing and imitating the
behaviors of others (McDonald & Kielsmeier, 1972). (Zimbardo & Leippe, 1991), said that an
observed behavior does not have to be reinforced to be learned, and the model “can be presented
on screen such as via television, video, or internet, in a novel, or by other vicarious means”
(Martin & Briggs, 1986). Therefore, it has also been shown that teenagers’ frequent exposure to
pornography may influence the development of their sexual attitudes and behaviors (Zillmann,
2000; Haggstrom-Nordin, 2005; Rogala, & Tyden, 2003). Numerous studies have pointed to the
relationship between biological factors and increased feeling towards sex. One of the biological
factors is puberty, regarded as an endocrinological event leading to sexual maturation (Peper &
Dahl, 2013). This surge in hormones plays a major role within a larger set of biological changes
in the process of achieving reproductive maturity, which includes rapid physical growth, sexually
dimorphic alterations, metabolic changes and a wide array of social, behavioral and emotional
changes. Developing reproductive capabilities does not only involve changes in the body, but
also in neural systems where the brain is a major target for sex steroid hormones (McCarthy &
Arnold, 2011). Hence, this demonstrates that pubertal hormones contribute to brain behavior
interactions.

The complex problem of teenage pregnancy presents serious obstacles to the growth and
wellbeing of teenagers everywhere. The spread of readily available pornography has been a
worrying factor in recent years, as it may have an impact on youths' sexual behavior and
reproductive health consequences. In the current digital era, pornography has become more and
more commonplace in all of its forms. It is easily accessed through the internet, smartphones,
and other electronic devices. There are concerns over its influence on teenage sexual attitudes,
behaviors, and ultimately the frequency of teenage pregnancy due to its uncontrolled access and
extensive availability Researchers, legislators, educators, and parents are all becoming more
concerned about the impact of pornography on adolescent pregnancy. Although there is a
complicated link between exposure to pornographic material and teenage pregnancy,
Background information on the study's issue of how exposure to pornography affects teenage
pregnancy. Concerns over pornographic content's possible impact on teenage attitudes and
behaviors have been raised in light of its increased accessibility through digital platforms in
today's society. The link between teenage pregnancy rates and exposure to pornography is one of
these worries. Adolescence is a crucial developmental stage characterized by curiosity,
exploration, and susceptibility to outside influences. Adolescents' views of sexuality, intimacy,
and responsible sexual behavior may be distorted by exposure to explicit sexual content, which is
frequently glamorized and lacks the negative repercussions associated with real-life sexual
interactions.

This research focuses on understanding potential correlations and influences between

exposure to explicit content and the occurrence of teenage pregnancies. Researchers may
investigate various exposure to pornography may influence attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors
related to sexual activity among teenagers, exploring the impact of pornographic content on the
formation and dynamics of romantic relationships among teenagers, including communication,
consent, and decision-making regarding sexual activities, assessing whether exposure to explicit
material contributes to gaps in sexual education and knowledge, potentially influencing safer sex
practices and contraceptive use, investigating potential psychological effects, such as
desensitization or unrealistic expectations, that may result from frequent exposure to explicit
content and how these factors may contribute to risky sexual behavior, considering the role of
societal attitudes, cultural norms, and peer influences in shaping how teenagers interpret and
respond to pornographic content in relation to their sexual behaviors.

This research provides valuable insights Understanding the causes and consequences of
teenage pregnancy helps in developing effective healthcare strategies and public health
initiatives aimed at promoting reproductive health, preventing unintended pregnancy. Teenage
pregnancy can have significant psychological and emotional implications for both the young
parents and their families. Exploring these aspects helps in understanding the needs of pregnant
adolescents, addressing stigma, and providing appropriate counseling and support services. This
study will be sought to determine the turn taking strategies that will help teenage pregnancy case
including the process of how turns occur, what strategies are observed, and what initiates it in a
discourse.

Statement of the problem

The purpose of the study and why it is conducted is to determine how does pornography
exposure influencing teenage pregnant high school students in Iriga.

Specifically, the study aimed to provide answers to the following questions:

1. How does prolonged exposure to pornography impact the decision-making and behaviors of
teenagers?

2. How can we explore the multifaceted impact of pornography on teenage pregnancy,

considering factors such as:

2.1 psychological development

2.2 social influences

2.3 educational interventions

3. What are the potential long-term consequences of early exposure to pornography during
adolescence on individuals' attitudes towards:

3.1 sexual health

3.2 relationships

3.3 family planning decisions

3.4 how does this contribute to the prevalence of teenage pregnancies?

Assumptions:

The researcher works on the following assumptions:

1. That the respondent's profile may vary in terms of age, gender, grade level, and strand.

2. The researchers assumed that after reading this research, teenagers has advantage on
preventing pregnancy.

3. The researchers assumed that avoidance of watching pornographic contents has good effect to
the teens.

4. The researchers assumed that this research benefits a lot especially teenagers.

5. There are ways that can be proposed to improve awareness in teenage pregnancy.

Hypothesis

Null Hypothesis: The frequency of adolescents' pornography use does not predict their likelihood
of experiencing teenage pregnancy.

Alternative Hypothesis: The frequency of adolescents' pornography use is positively associated

with their likelihood of experiencing teenage pregnancy.

Null Hypothesis: Exposure to pornography does not increase the likelihood of engaging in risky
sexual behaviors that could lead to teenage pregnancy.
Alternative Hypothesis: Exposure to pornography increases the likelihood of engaging in risky
sexual behaviors, such as unprotected sex, that could lead to teenage pregnancy.

Null Hypothesis: Parental monitoring and discussion of pornography use has no impact on the
relationship between adolescents' pornography consumption and teenage pregnancy.

Alternative Hypothesis: Parental monitoring and discussion of pornography use moderates the
relationship between adolescents' pornography consumption and teenage pregnancy, such that
stronger parental involvement reduces the risk.

Scope and Delimitations

The scope of this study focuses on analyzing the pornographic exposure affecting teenage
pregnancy. The research study aims to investigate the factors contributing to teenage pregnancy
and its impact on the educational and socioeconomic outcomes of young mothers in Iriga City. It
aims to investigate the different factors that affect teenage pregnancy. The researchers use a
qualitative analysis.

The study will be able to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex issue of
teenage pregnancy, its most effective strategies for prevention and support.

The target respondents will be girls and young women aged 15-19 who have experienced
pregnancy, the study will exclude participants who became pregnant before the age of 15 or after
the age of 19. The findings will inform the development of targeted interventions and support
services to address this critical public health and social issue. Researchers can search into
specific aspects of teenage pregnancy, leading to more targeted and insightful discussions and
interventions.
Consequently, the researchers started to conduct this research on February 2024. The outcome of
this may be able to answer what strategies or techniques to avoid or lessen teenage pregnancy
rates in Iriga City and the researchers may be able to provide valuable informations that may
improve the awareness of teens about pregnancy.

Significance of the Study

The result of the study, Explicitly Available: A Qualitative Exploration of Pornography

Exposure Influencing Teenage Pregnant High School Students in Iriga will be significant to the
following:

Students. The result of this study could inform and understand that exposure of pornography to
the students can influence teenage pregnancy.

Parents. The results will provide them research-based information to teach their children to
critically evaluate the media they consume, including pornography. Help them understand the
difference between fantasy and reality and challenge harmful stereotypes and messages
portrayed in pornographic material.

Law or policy makers. Enforce stricter regulations on the production, distribution, and
accessibility of pornography, especially to minors. This may involve age verification measures,
restrictions on explicit content, and penalties for non-compliance that can help to lower the case
of teenage pregnancy.

Curriculum planners and academic developers. Can develop and implement comprehensive
sex education programs that cover topics such as human sexuality, healthy relationships, consent,
contraception, and the potential risks associated with pornography consumption. These programs
should be age-appropriate and evidence-based, providing students with accurate information to
make informed decisions about their sexual health. By empowering students to deconstruct and
understand the harmful stereotypes and unrealistic portrayals of sex often depicted in
pornography, curriculum planners can help reduce its influence on teenagers.

Future researchers. The result of this research may be used by them as a reference for their
future research.

Definition of Terms

The key terms utilized in the study are listed in this section. These words are specified in
the study and are fully defined according to their usage in the study to make the problem easier
to understand.

Pornography

Operational Definition: Explicit depiction of sexual content, It is often considered a form of

sexual expression, but its production, distribution, and consumption can be subject to legal and
ethical debates.

Conceptual definition: The representation of sexual behavior in various forms of media,

including books, pictures, films, statues, and other media.

Health

Operational Definition: Encompasses the overall functioning and well-being of an individual,

including their physical, emotional, psychological, and social aspects.

Conceptual Definition: State of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and it is not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Adolescence
Operational Definition: Transitional stage of development between childhood and adulthood,
typically occurring between the ages of 12 and 18.

Conceptual Definition: A transitional phase of growth and development between childhood and
adulthood.

Influence

Operational Definition: Capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of

someone or something. It involves the ability to shape or guide the actions, opinions, or decisions
of others, either directly or indirectly.

Conceptual Definition: The power or capacity to cause an effect or change in indirect or

intangible ways.

Exposure

Operational Definition: Act of being subjected to or experiencing something, particularly in a

way that may have an impact or effect on an individual.

Conceptual Definition: The state or condition of coming into contact with or being subjected to
something, whether it be physical, environmental, social, or psychological.

Behavior

Operational Definition: Actions or reactions of an individual or group in response to internal or

external stimuli. It encompasses the observable actions, reactions, and patterns of conduct
exhibited by a person or organism.

Conceptual Definition: The range of actions, reactions, or conduct exhibited by individuals or

organisms in response to internal or external stimuli.
Development

Operational Definition: Progressive acquisition of skills, knowledge, and abilities, as well as the
transformation of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social characteristics.

Conceptual Definition: The progressive and systematic process of growth, maturation, and
change that occurs in individuals, organisms, or systems over time.

Attitude

Operational Definition: Cognitive, affective, and behavioral components that shape an

individual's overall orientation and response to various aspects of their environment.

Conceptual Definition: A learned and relatively stable predisposition or evaluative stance that
individuals hold towards people, objects, ideas, or situations.
Review of Related Literature and Studies

This chapter will examine some of the key ideas in the study that several researchers have
discussed.

Related Literatures

Foreign Related Literatures

The impact of free sex behavior is the occurrence of Unwanted Pregnancy (KTD), this
phenomenon is still rife in Indonesia. KTD reached 17.5% which means it is quite high in 2020,
which is caused by various factors; parenting patterns, lack of knowledge, easy access to
pornographic media, attitudes of close friends towards sexuality, lack of religious attitudes, age,
living without permissive parents, low socioeconomic status, and teenagers who do not go to
school. Purpose: to find out the factors that influence adverse events based on the latest evidence
based on various articles. Methods: The design used is a literature review, the articles are
collected using 2 based data, namely google scholar, pubmed, ebsco, and the google scholar
search engine. The article research results obtained 20 articles, namely Google scholar 10
articles, pubmed 5 articles, and Ebsco 5 articles. The criteria for the articles used are original
articles, published for 10 years (2011 – 2021), full text and free access. There are 6 articles that
meet the inclusion criteria, namely the factors causing unwanted pregnancy in adolescents.
Results: Based on the articles collected, it was found that parenting patterns, lack of knowledge,
easy access to pornographic media, attitudes of close friends towards sexuality, lack of religious
attitudes, age, living without permissive parents, low socioeconomic status, teenagers who do not
attend school is a major factor in the cause of unwanted pregnancies in adolescents. There are 6
articles that meet the inclusion criteria, namely the factors causing unwanted pregnancy in
adolescents. Results: Based on the articles collected, it was found that parenting patterns, lack of
knowledge, easy access to pornographic media, attitudes of close friends towards sexuality, lack
of religious attitudes, age, living without permissive parents, low socioeconomic status,
teenagers who do not attend school is a major factor in the cause of unwanted pregnancies in
adolescents. There are 6 articles that meet the inclusion criteria, namely the factors causing
unwanted pregnancy in adolescents. Results: Based on the articles collected, it was found that
parenting patterns, lack of knowledge, easy access to pornographic media, attitudes of close
friends towards sexuality, lack of religious attitudes, age, living without permissive parents, low
socioeconomic status, teenagers who do not attend school is a major factor in the cause of
unwanted pregnancies in adolescents. (Noveri Aisyaroh).

This media literacy program was developed by public health scholars and educators in the United
States with extensive knowledge about pornography as a medium, pornography as a source of
social influence, and adolescent health. The curriculum was informed by scientific data and
appropriate theoretical frameworks. Many aspects of the curriculum are directly relevant to the
problematic sexual scripts discussed in this chapter. To illustrate, one component of the
curriculum covers condom use, STIs, and pregnancy prevention. Another component covers
body ideals. Other components cover topics such as gender roles and respectful behavior in
dating and sexual relationships. Albeit with only a small sample of adolescents, initial pre- and
post-test data suggest the efficacy of this intervention. Significant shifts in attitudes were found
in several key areas. Specifically, from pre- to post-test, adolescents were less likely to perceive
pornography as a good way for young people to learn about sex, more likely to perceive
pornography as a potentially harmful social influence, less likely to believe women want to be
called derogatory names during sex, less likely to believe people want to be physically aggressed
against during sex, less likely to see pornography as realistic, less likely to want to emulate
pornographic sex in their own lives.

Pregnancy occurring in girls between the ages of 13 and 19 years is a major health challenge
worldwide, with the potential to adversely affect birth outcomes. This may also lead to ill health
and a cycle of poverty (Abebe et al. 2020:1; Mann et al. 2020:312). A study by Walker and
Holfreter (2021:299) indicates that teenage pregnancy is also a notable predictor of depression,
alcohol and substance abuse. Wong et al. (2020:156) add that teenage mothers have a
significantly higher rate of depression and anxiety during pregnancy than mothers aged 20–34
years. According to Gselamu et al. (2020:116), teenage mothers experience psychosocial
challenges such as a great amount of stress before and after birth, arising from unwanted
pregnancy and unpreparedness for parenthood. The same authors add that these teenage mothers
also experience a lack of income as well as labor and birth complications taking the form of
infant death, anemia and low-birth-weight infants (Gselamu et al. 2020:116).

Local Related Literatures

Pregnancy has taken its toll in the young mothers, parents still continue their roles in guiding and
supporting their children who are turning into parents. Furthermore, parents are one of the
support network and coaches in resolving pregnancies (Mann, Cardona & Gomez, 2015). Anwar
and Stanistreet (2015) seconded it by stating that young mothers rely too much on the people
who are always at their back such as their family, trusted friends, and other people who they
believe could be of help to them. Therefore, this is one of the primary reason how the apparently
challenging and anxiety-inducing instance becomes a positive experience.

(Hoffman 2015) identified various social, academic, and economic costs for children of teen
mothers, including, but not limited to, higher rates of abuse and neglect, increased rates of
incarceration during adolescence or early 20s, repetition of school grades, higher dropout rates,
and increased risk of poor health. In fact, in the 2020 Social Weather Stations Survey, 59% of the
Filipino respondents agree that TP is the most important problem that Filipino women are facing
as it can lead to maternal mortality, premature birth, stillbirth, and all other health risks,
including mental and emotional risks (Cunanan, 2021).

Society loses the potential economic contributions of these teenage mothers when they fail to
reach their full educational and occupational potential. Early motherhood tends to interrupt the
long period of education and training required in developed societies. Mangino (2016) identified
that teenage mothers drop out of school to assume their mothering role. A 2016 study conducted
by the UNPF Philippines estimated a total of 33 billion pesos lost in lifetime earnings due to
early childbearing of women ages 18–19 years old (Gita-Carlos, 2021). Former Laguna 3rd
District Representative Sol Aragones pointed out that “teenage pregnancy perpetuates the cycle
of poverty and inequality” as the majority of teen parents drop out of school, foregoing the
economic opportunities that better education might provide (Porcalla & Crisostomo, 2019, par.
9). As the country faces the burgeoning issue of TP, the signing of Executive Order No. 141
(2021) is very timely. Executive Order No. 141 makes a national priority the implementation of
measures to address the root causes of the rising number of TP. The Department of Education
(DepEd) is pivotal in the quest for solutions to addressing TP concerns. Health Office (MHO-
LB) revealed that TP cases increased from 184 in 2009 to 327 cases in 2018, making TP
phenomenon a growing concern of the municipality (MHO-LB, 2018). This study aims to
establish the knowledge of the youth about TP and explain their attitudes and behavior towards
this phenomenon. By doing so, appropriate interventions can be designed specifically at the
municipal level to address TP.

Related Studies

Foreign Related Studies

Studies suggest that the most common forms of physical aggression are spanking, gagging, hair
pulling, and choking. Other forms of physical aggression that have been observed include
pushing, kicking, biting, slapping, use of weapons, whipping, pinching, and smothering. Studies
suggest that name-calling is the most common form of verbal aggression. Regardless of whether
the aggression is physical or verbal, men are more likely to be the perpetrators and women the
targets. Teenage actresses are just as likely to be aggressed against as older actresses (Shor,
2019).

The risk of an unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection (STI) increases

substantially when sex occurs without condoms. For this reason, communication and public
health researchers have increasingly analyzed pornography for its presentation of unprotected
sex. Results indicate that condomless sex is the norm (although it should be noted that
pornography featuring men having sex with men is more likely than opposite sex pornography to
depict protected sex). Pornography featuring teenagers is no exception to this rule. For instance,
a content analysis of 50 pornographic videos featuring male-female interactions with teenage
girls found that only one video depicted condom use (Vannier et al., 2015). Gendered depictions
have also been a concern. Principally, analysts have investigated the concern that pornography
depicts power imbalances between men and women and sends the message that women are
sexual objects. The "male perpetrator-female target" dynamic mentioned previously in the
discussion of aggression speaks directly to the commonality of gendered power imbalances in
popular pornography. But other findings are also indicative of power imbalances that favor men.
Studies of videos and websites have found, for example, that men were cast as supervisors,
business people, or other professionals while women were cast as students, clerical staff, and
housewives.

An important study on the question of objectification was recently conducted by Fritz and Paul
(2017). Employing a comprehensive range of indicators (e.g., stripping, excessive focus on
genitals), this study of one of the most popular free-pornography websites found that women
were significantly more likely to be objectified between. than men in the content consumed by
the typical user (i.e., mainstream content). To the author's knowledge, however, only one media
literacy training program has been developed and tested for pornography and teenagers,
specifically: a nine-session curriculum called The Truth about Pornography: A Pornography
Literacy Curriculum for High School Students Designed to Reduce Sexual and Dating Violence
(Rothman et al., 2020).

These findings are consistent with the results of a recent survey study of adolescents and young
adults conducted in the Netherlands (Vandenbosch & van Oosten, 2017). This longitudinal panel
analysis found that the association between more frequent pornography use and perceptions of
women. as sex objects was weaker when youth had received sex education in school that
featured a component on pornography. Although the data were only correlational, they were
consistent with the media literacy contention that educational efforts can attenuate negative
media effects even when the media in question are still consumed. Also pertinent are the results
of several studies of adults in various countries indicating that the association between
pornography use and risk for having condomless sex is lessoned the more viewers perceive
pornography as a less than optimal source of information about sex (e.g., Wright et al., 2018,
2019). In sum, although additional research is certainly needed, it appears that one potential
avenue for remediating the harmful effects of pornography on teenagers in the area of sexual
socialization is enhanced media literacy education.

Local Related Studies

Teenage pregnancy had already been a big concern in the Philippines, declaring it a national
social emergency in June 2021 (Cunanan, 2021). House Bill 4742 (2017) and Senate Bill 1482
(2017) described teenage pregnancy (TP) as girls ages 15–19 who are pregnant for the first time
or are already mothers. However, the 2018 Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data recorded
live births among Filipino adolescents as young as 10 years old. This makes the TP phenomenon
very alarming. TP cases continued to increase in the country and were highest across Asia, as
cited by the 2016 United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) report (Nortajuddin, 2021). What
makes it even more complicated is that in the January 2020 Policy Brief by the UNPF
Philippines, only 3% is fathered by men of the same age group, implying that the rest of the
cases might be due to coercion and unequal power relations between young girls and older men
(Executive Order No. 141, 2021). The study by Cook and Cameron (2015, p. 243) emphasized
how teenage pregnancy can be a “marker of social and economic disadvantage” Additionaly,
parents were not seen as a preferred source of SRH education for Filipino teenagers, and around
a third of them incorrectly assumed that teenagers will never become pregnant during their first
sexual encounter ( Candelaria, 2019), in the KAP study of de Leon, et al., (n,d,), on teenage
parents, it was revealed that there are still misconceptions about contraception and dangerous
practices. Around half still do not practice safe sexual intercourse. Most of them do not know or
use any methods of contraception. Withdrawal methods being the most widely known method of
contraception while both condoms and contraceptive pills are the artificial methods known
(abecia, et al., 2016).

Another alarming fact is that the number of teenage mothers who gave birth to their second or
third child during their teenage year has increased in the last 10 years. This is according to the
data shown in the press conference in Quezon City by Carmelita Ericta, administrator and civil
registrar general of the National Statistics Office. ( Ime Morales, 2016). Teenage pregnancy is a
global issue and a major contributor to school drop-out among girls. Permanent expulsion was
one of the solutions made for teenage pregnancy but this has been proven ineffective and unfair
to the girls. Now there is a return to school policy where a student is temporarily dismissed from
school due to teenage pregnancy to further pursue their education. (Okeyo, 2015).

Research studies show that teenage pregnancy is high among women who are poor, are
unemployed, are minorities, and have low educational levels (Coker, 2004; Child Trends Data
Bank, 2014;McDonough, 1992). A recent study conducted in the Philippines, however, reveals a
different trend (Natividad, 2013). This study found that an increasing incidence of teenage
pregnancy is observed among women who come from financially able families, have higher
educational attainment, and live in urban areas. Most of the studies on teen pregnancy and
motherhood were done in the United Kingdom (Sloan, 2012;Vincent, 2009;Yu, 2010) and in the
United States (Dole, 2009;Dudley, Crowder, & Montgomery, 2014;Jamal, 2014;Mangino,
2008;McDonough, 1992;Strunk, 2008) to mention a few. But, in the Philippines, while teen
pregnancy and motherhood has become a growing trend at an alarming rate (Philippine Statistics,
et., al, 2014), few studies have been done (Badiane, 2005;Natividad, 2013;Upadhyay, 2006).
Hence, more studies should be conducted especially using research frameworks that give voice
to teen mothers to share their stories and provide venues for their participation in the crafting of
policies.

Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework for this study, titled "Explicitly Available: A Qualitative Exploration
of Pornography Exposure Influencing Teenage Pregnant High School Students in Iriga." is built
upon several interconnected theoretical perspectives that aim to explore the exposure in
pornography influencing teenage pregnancy.

Sexual Script Theory

Many of the outcomes of early exposure to pornography may lead to early involvement in sexual
activity discussed in this paper may be explained by sexual script theory. According to sexual
script theory, the timing of pornography exposure may be an important factor in the attitudes and
beliefs about sex and sexuality held by children and adolescents. Scholars studying the functions
of pornographic scripts as frames of reference for young people in relation to sexual ideals and
expectations have found that young people are especially susceptible to themes conveyed in
sexual material (Häggström‐Nordin et al., 2006). According to sexual script theory, individuals
learn “the when, where, how, with whom, and why of sexuality” from cultural and social
messages about and portrayals of sexuality (Löfgren-Mårtenson et al., 2010). Many studies have
found that pornography users acquire information and learn sexual scripts through their
pornography use, including creating sexual expectations or performing certain acts (Alexy et al.,
2009; Häggström -Nordin et al., 2009; Hanson et al., 2006; Hunter et al., 2010). Thus, if certain
acts are frequently viewed in pornography, viewers (and especially younger viewers) may begin
to see those behaviors as normative or acceptable.

Peter and Valkenburg (2010) found that the more frequently adolescents are exposed to
pornography, the more likely they are to perceive pornographic content to be similar to real-
world sex, as well as more likely to believe that pornography is a useful source of information
about sex. As many popular pornographic videos normalize to teens suggest leading to greater
sexual satisfaction (Klaassen et al., 2015), it could be expected that those who view pornography
more frequently, especially starting at younger ages, will have more sexual partners. These
studies suggest that pornography use influences sexual attitudes and behaviors, and provide
evidence that early experiences with pornography may lead to outcomes in adulthood.
Experiencing a disconnect between sexual expectations and actual partnered sexual behavior
could contribute to lower levels of mental health or life satisfaction. (Klaassen et al., 2015)
However, no research to date examines how pornography use during childhood or adolescence is
linked to adult sexual attitudes or behaviors such as number of sexual partners or acceptability of
certain sexual acts.

Arousal Theory
Focuses primarily on the immediate effects that sexually explicit material may have on behavior
resulting early pregnancy. Television content, for example, can produce emotional and
physiological arousal (activation of the nervous system as opposed to sexual arousal), and
increased levels of arousal are likely to produce some type of behavior such as involving in
sexual intercourses. However, Zillmann's theory does not imply what these behavioral outcomes
will be. Rather, arousal theory states that the personality of the viewer, the environmental
circumstances, and one's frame of reference for interpretation will determine the ensuing
behavior." In the context of Zillmann's theory, arousal is non-specific. Thus, other factors will
determine whether sexually explicit material will result in behavior that is sexual, aggressive, or
altruistic". (D. Zillmann, 1982).

An adaptation of arousal theory has been used to understand the possible implications
of repeated exposure to sexually explicit material. One possibility is that, in a similar to
desensitization to violent material, a viewer continually exposed to sexually explicit material will
habituate to that type of content and become desensitized to it as well. Becoming physiologically
or emotionally aroused in the near future would then require different material, perhaps more
explicit pornographic depictions in teens (D. Zillmann, 1982). An alternative outcome is that a
viewer who has habituated to material will simply grow uninterested in it, an outcome mentioned
by a number of female students interviewed by the committee during site visits who asserted that
they initially used the Internet to view adult-oriented Web sites a great deal but that they soon
became bored with such material. (D. Zillmann, 1982).

Psychoanalytic Theory

This theory predicts potentially positive effects from exposure to sexually explicit or
pornographic material presented in media. In psychoanalytic theory, two major drives are sex
and aggression. These drives must be released in some way, and one path that psychoanalytic
theory develops for drive reduction is fantasy in the form of catharsis (C. Hall, 1954).More
specifically, this can cause to a person involving in sexual activities, in catharsis, sexual drives
can be released through fantasy experiences with sexual material, research has found links
between intentional use of pornography during childhood/adolescence and delinquent behavior,
increased substance abuse, and higher numbers of pregnancy during adolescence.(C. Hall,).