House panel OKs bill expanding RH services, contraceptive access to those aged 15 and above sans parental consent

The House youth and sports development panel on Tuesday approved a bill allowing adolescents aged 15 and above to access reproductive health services, including legal contraceptives, without parental consent.

Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, principal author of House Bill 00079 or Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act, said the bill also provides that reproductive health services and legal contraceptives will also be accessible to those below 15 years old without parental consent, provided that they:

•     have already begun child bearing
•     are pregnant
•     have experienced sexual  assault
•     have experienced miscarriage
•     are sexually active/engaged in high-risk behavior.

In addition, the bill also provides social protection to adolescent parents so that they can finish their education and gain skills for employment.

“Adolescent pregnancy is a crisis with clearly documented health and economic consequences on young parents. Evidence-based prevention programs, adolescents’ access to reproductive health information and services, and non-judgmental care and support from parents, teachers, and other trusted adults will help adolescents make responsible life choices on relationships, sex, and their reproductive health,” Lagman said in a statement.

“This bill is a sequel to the Reproductive Health Law,”  he added.

Back in February, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, has already sought for unhampered provision of comprehensive sexuality education for learners five to 19 years old as soon as possible to stem the incidents of pregnancy among young girls aged 10 to 19 years old.

Dr. Leila Joudane, the country representative of UNFPA in the Philippines, cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Department of Health showing there are at least 2,000 adolescent pregnancies among those aged 10 to 14 in years 2020 to 2022, which somehow negate the reduced pregnancy incidents among those aged 15 to 19 which went down to 5.4% in 2022 from 8.5% in 2017.

The UNFPA official also called for wider accessibility to sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning and contraceptives, for adolescents without parental consent.

“From government data, the unmet need for family planning is 27.9% among young women aged 15 to 19, higher than the national average of 16.7%. This shows that adolescents aged 15 to 19 are in need of family planning, are requesting for family planning but cannot have access to family planning,” Joudane added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News