MANILA, Philippines - Moms and dads, you may want to double check your kids' plans for Valentine's Day.
According to a recent study by the University of the Philippines (UP) Population Institute, the prevalence of premarital sex and teenage pregnancy among young Filipinos has increased over the past years.
"This result does not come as a surprise, especially if we link this with what we found regarding sexual behavior of young Filipinos today," said Prof. Maria Paz Marquez, one of the authors of the study.
She said aside from an increasing level of premarital sexual engagement among young people, there is also an evolution of other forms of sexual activities.
"The more worrisome though is the fact that most of these activities go unprotected," Marquez said.
The research findings showed that majority of today’s young Filipinos had their first premarital sex experience without the use of condom or any other form of contraception to prevent pregnancy or sexually-transmitted disease.
Dr. Josefina Natividad said in her presentation of the study's conclusion that the rise of the new forms of sexual activity and new means of meeting sexual partners may also be attributed to today's new technologies.
"One distinct feature of the Filipino youth of 2013 is their high prevalence of usage of the new information and telecommunication technologies," said Natividad, who is also the YAFS4 project coordinator.
"The ubiquitous cell phone and the internet are shaping the lives of today’s youth in ways that we are still to fully understand," she added.