Conservative ideologies and Roman Catholic influences in the Philippines have deemed sex as inappropriate and suppressed people from openly discussing sexuality. This societal culture has been associated with the rapidly growing population, as well as the rising cases of teenage pregnancy. In response to this public health issue, the Philippines passed the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act in December 2012. The RH Law intends to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce abortion, decrease STIs and HIV/AIDS, provide free and accessible contraceptives, etc. Additionally, the law also mandates the inclusion of sex education in both primary and secondary schools and is now being implemented in the K-12 curriculum. This enactment resulted in a drop in fertility rates and a 40% increase in the usage of modern family planning methods (POPCOM, 2018), as well as a decrease in the teenage pregnancy rate (UNFPA, 2020).
The integration of sex education in elementary and high schools does not just address certain public health concerns but also creates a positive sexuality framework that teaches students how sex is a natural and healthy part of life (Joven, 2021). It enables young people to explore their sexuality without having to deal with shame and putting their health at risk. However, although our current policies are ideal on paper, some students still fail to receive adequate and appropriate education related to sex and sexuality. I, myself, have never encountered being taught about sex in school, except for those that have been arranged by non-governmental organizations. As such, I believe that it is important that the Department of Education (DepEd) review the existing health education curriculum and be assertive in promoting sex education.
References:
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#GirlsNotMoms: Eliminating Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines. (2020, January). UNFPA Philippines. https://philippines.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_Policy_Brief_Teenage_Pregnancy_%282020-01-24%29.pdf
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Joven, J. (2021, November 5). Do we actually have sex ed in Philippine schools? CNN Philippines. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/life/culture/Education/2021/11/5/sex-education-philippine-schools.html
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Junio, L. (2018, February 24). Popcom attributes lower PH fertility rate to RH law. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1026349