Exploring the links of the incidence of teenage pregnancy and natural disaster: the case of Eastern Visayas, Philipiines

The survey on the 742 female youth, 12 to 21 years old from Eastern Visayas [Philippines] who have experienced severe typhoon (Yolanda) or moderate typhoon (Ruby) aims to explore the links of natural disaster and the likelihood of increase in teenage pregnancy. The Eastern Visayas youth who reported being pregnant in 2013-2016, was found to be 22% in severely hit areas (Tacloban-Palo) and 15% in moderately hit areas (Dolores and CanAvid). The study identified the differential characteristics (socio-economic, sexual risk behavior, non-sexual risk behaviors and disaster experience characteristics) of the Eastern Visayas youth that were associated with both severity of typhoon experience and incidence of pregnancy. These are the age of the youth, household type (extended family and two or more non-related families), are in a consensual union, living in own permanent housing, out of school but are high school graduate, and have reported monthly income between 5,001 to 10,000 pesos. Furthermore, significant relationship was also found among the youth who had alcohol, had been exposed to pornography and have attempted suicide, had premarital sexual experience between 15 to 19 years old with either their own spouses or partners, have had three or more boyfriends when they were between 15 to 19 years old. The youth that had that experience only 1 move while in the emergency shelter, or had been relocated for 91 to 180 days, had stayed less than 330 days in transitional shelters, and had been staying less than 120 days in donated permanent housing, and had been living in their own houses from 666 to 730 days were also found to be related to incidence of pregnancy and severity of typhoon. Significant difference was also found among the ever-pregnant youth in their age of initiation to premarital sex (PMS). Those in severely hit areas had PMS at age 16.75 and 17.23 for those in the moderately hit typhoon areas.