DOH offers contraceptive patch to teenage moms

MANILA, Philippines - Teenage mothers nationwide are being  given contraceptive patches to promote adolescent health.

Undersecretary Janet Garin said the Department of Health (DOH) is offering free family planning patch to them so they would can continue their studies after becoming pregnant.

“We are making available family planning implant to young mothers, but only to those who want it to avoid another pregnancy,” she said.

“Because they are young, they do not realize that they can become pregnant again and after having successive kids they can no longer go back to school, so the DOH is now offering free family planning patch.”

Garin said those getting the family planning implant can avoid pregnancy for three years.    

The DOH will require parental consent for mothers below 18 years, she added.

Garin said the DOH is also set to embark on a massive vaccination campaign focusing on young people nationwide.

“By October or November, the DOH will start implementing a program that will provide diphtheria, polio and tetanus vaccine to all first year students nationwide,” she said.

Garin said the DOH will provide free cervical vaccine for young students.

“We have focused so much on  the very young in our immunization campaign and have missed out on the teenage sectors in our advocacy, so this time we will be implementing adolescent health program,” she said.

Garin said the DOH is giving out polio vaccine to prevent the resurgence of the disease.

Tetanus will also be given to young people as protection for those who might get pregnant and likely be unable to give birth in a medical facility, she added.