Objective: To review the implementation of essential reproductive health services in Eastern Visayas, Philippines.Materials and Methods: We reviewed four national policies through a qualitative research design using a series of key informant interviews conducted with service providers and focus group discussions with service beneficiaries.Results: There was a gap between the policies and the implementation of reproductive health services in the Eastern Visayas region. This gap is mainly due to the refusal of service providers to cater to teenagers’ needs regarding reproductive health services. This has resulted in teenagers hesitating to seek reproductive health services and related support from primary healthcare facilities. Service beneficiaries have also reported on the unavailability of several reproductive health services in primary healthcare facilities.Conclusion: The gap between national policies and program implementation must be bridged. This can be achieved by creating culturally-specific policies that can improve the implementation of reproductive health programs in the study areas.

BACKGROUND

While adolescent pregnancies in the Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines have declined over the past five years, young mothers remain at risk of repeat pregnancies, which continue to expose them and their children to health and socioeconomic risks in this vulnerable region.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to collect baseline information on mothers who experienced early pregnancy in Eastern Visayas and to identify significant differences in maternal characteristics based on type of residence and age. The findings will be used by a nongovernmental organization to plan and develop targeted interventions for this vulnerable population.

METHODOLOGY

This study utilized a descriptive cross-sectional design to collect data on mothers who experienced early pregnancy in four selected provinces of Eastern Visayas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, an independent t-test, and the Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

A total of 296 mothers participated in the survey. Among them, 80.1% were in high school during their first pregnancy, and 88.2% were unemployed at the time of the study. The youngest age at first pregnancy was 12 years. The participants' male partners were at least five years older (39.8%) and ten years older (11.1%). Significant differences were observed in the use of family planning method, number and status of pregnancies, and history of preterm labor.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that adolescent pregnancy remains a public health concern in Eastern Visayas, particularly among lowincome teenagers with limited educational attainment, whose parents also had minimal education. The youngest reported age of pregnancy was 12 years. Therefore, efforts should focus on increasing access to family planning services, providing comprehensive reproductive health education, and enhancing maternal and child health services.

Human ; Adolescent Pregnancy ; Pregnancy In Adolescence ; Reproductive Health