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TEENAGE PREGNANCY (by Jayvee Valera)

Teenage pregnancy is one of the problems of today’s society. It is generally a pregnancy in a female under 20 years of age and often neither planned, nor wanted. Hence, these teenagers are not aware and not ready with the responsibility of raising a child when they themselves are still in a growing up stage.

In the Philippines, this is becoming prevalent due to some factors like low socio-economic status, peer pressure, media influence, drugs and alcohol, and lack of knowledge about such phenomenon. With this unintentional situations that some teenagers experience, they have higher rates of depression and stress. They tend to be more sensitive about what people think of them, a child bearing a child. It is hard enough to be a teenager by itself then add in pregnancy and all the responsibilities and commitments that comes with it, and it becomes more challenging and draining. During this pregnancy, the teenager experience emotional rollercosters which sometimes lead to alienating themselves from their family, friends and the society especially when they feel like they’re left out. Unmarried pregnant adolescents may face stigma or rejection by parents and peers as well as threats of violence. Girls who become pregnant before age 18 are also more likely to experience violence within a marriage or partnership. Other problems they encounter is the great deal of economic difficulty. Teenage mothers tend to sacrifice their studies and careers to focus more in becoming an instant parent and support both the baby and themselves. Pregnant teenagers also face greater risk of health problems and complications due to their immature bodies. Babies born to younger mothers are also at greater risk.

As the saying goes, “Prevention is better than cure.” Teenagers should make themselves involved in every sex education programs that their school offer. They should be aware of this phenomenon, its effects, and the responsibility that comes with it. They need to learn that pregnancy is not a problem itself as long as the two individuals involved are of the right age and have a better understanding of what they are committing themselves to. Teenagers should talk openly to adults especially to their parents about this matter for them to seek advice, awareness and knowledge. For the teenage mothers and fathers, they should be guided and supported in every way possible. They have many more challenges to encounter in their parenthood and they need every love and encouragement they need to conquer them.

#MaamChan #MaamSambog

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LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX (by Kimmi Harielle Ramirez So)

Note: This is not to disrespect the Catholic Church and its believers, but to educate people on why sexual education must be discussed without the inclusivity of religion.

I was in Grade 4 when the RH Bill was headlined on every newspaper. I can't remember when, but it was signed at some point and became a law. It guarantees access to maternal care, contraception, fertility control, and sexual education. Take note of those last two words.

I remember being taught about the male and female anatomy, menarche, a couple of STDs, and nothing more in Grade 5. In Grade 8, a helpful symposium in our school gymnasium was held by gynecologists. At Grade 11, the only information on sexuality I had were those I learned in Grades 5 and 8. Luckily, in Grade 12, I got back my love for learning. In my readings, I have found that there was so much I should've known but was programmed to not know because of the Catholic Church. I felt fooled because I debunked myths about my body which I've been believing all my life.

Monsignor Pedro Quitorio from the Catholic Bishops Conference, in 2014, said that "Children are fragile creatures. The [education] department should be very, very careful not to teach children about matters they will imitate the following day," and all I have to say is his statement is pure nonsense. Yes, children like me are fragile, but we are people! We ought to know what's happening to our bodies. It's our right.

As a 21st century student, I want and I need to be aware of more than just the parts of the reproductive system. Because of my Grade 5 science lessons, I know that the set of organs between my legs are different from that of males, but it is not enough for us to be able to identify what cervixes are or define what menarche is. We need to know why getting tested for HIV is necessary, how the many sexual orientations differ from one another, what consent is and isn't, how to have safe sex, and the like. The Church is holding us back from finding out the answers to these questions. They keep insisting that sex ed should be about things like masturbation and homosexuality being sins and chastity and virginity being praise-worthy descriptions. Otherwise, it promotes "promiscuity" and should have no place in schools. Absolute rubbish. They're compromising scientific accuracy by shoving abstinence down our throats.

I respect God and I respect Jesus. Their followers, however, get on my nerves every time their tongues rise against our rights to proper education. I appreciate how much they stand for their beliefs, but is it too much to ask them to stand back and let science take the wheel just this time? Depriving us of sex education won't stop us from being curious about our bodily functions. It will only give birth to questions they will refuse to answer, and where do teens turn to when their questions are unanswered? Not to their parents. Not to their teachers. They turn to pornography, which provides unrealistic and uneducational perceptions of sex. They turn to their friends who don't know any better than they do. Which now, will cause more trouble? A world with sex ed or a world without it?

Religious taboos are trying to program us into thinking that the vagueness of terms in proper sex ed -- "acquaintance rape," "autoeurotic asphyxiation," "chlamydia," "dilators," to name a few, are going to make us teens perform acts of sexual misconduct, when it won't. It won't make us promiscuous. It won't get girls like me pregnant at this age. What will it do? It will lower the rates of teenage pregnancy. It will inform us on the best contraceptives to use depending on our bodily conditons. It will teach people not to rape. There should be no ambiguity and omissions when it comes to education. Learning should not be subject to appropriateness. Sex ed tackles topics that are, whether the Church likes it or not, a reality for teenagers. This is our health we're talking about. These matters must be dealt with seriously.

Currently, my fellow Gen-Zers (proper term for people born between the years 1996-present) and I are teaching each other about sexuality. This shouldn't be the case, but we're trying to make an effort instead of taking our bodies for granted like the Church does. On that note, I'd like to say that no, I did not get pregnant for learning about sex.

#MaamChan #MaamSambog

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BODY-SHAMING (by Prime dela Rosa)

There’s nothing wrong with expressing our own opinions, especially today where freedom of speech has been more accepted than in the previous years. However, people seem to misunderstand its meaning. Many often cross lines and do hateful acts like body-shaming, which is one of the biggest problems in this generation. It is defined as the discrimination of humans based on body size, built, body shape, and/or weight.

Body-shaming has become a problem for everyone, especially people who are underweight, overweight, and anyone else whose body size doesn't fit with society's standards of a perfect body. Unfortunately, even people who get body-shamed on a daily basis accept all judgments thrown at then because of repetitiveness. Even they think it's normal -- but it shouldn't be that way. We should stop sweeping it under the rug and do something about it. It isn't helpful at all to ignore these issues, especially since it causes severe repercussions like insecurity, trauma, depression, eating disorders, and even suicidal thoughts.

"Fat." "Too skinny." "Flat-chested." "Elephant-sized." These words were made for describing, and not to make people feel bad about themselves. Personally, I'd love to be all those aforementioned things than be a shallow and ignorant body-shamer. We must take a stand and spread awareness that whatever shape you are, you are beautiful. Don't hate! Educate yourself and appreciate. 😊

#MaamChan #MaamSambog

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Welcome!

This account is where you'll find the outputs of Ma'am Chan's Little Babies -- Kimmi So, Prime dela Rosa, Leiden Tolentino, Lian Pilipiña, and Jayvee Valera -- in compliance with the requirements for their subject, Creative Non-Fiction.

This will also serve as their performance task in Empowerment.

All members of the group hope that you find enlightenment and delight as you scroll through their posts.

Happy Tumblring! #MaamChan #MaamSambog

-Kimmi So (Admin)