Sex education implemented in Leyte

THE Provincial Government of Leyte implemented the Adolescent Responsible Sexuality Education (Arse) to curb premarital sex and teenage pregnancy, in various elementary and high schools in Leyte.

Provincial population officer Mel Cawile said a module was prepared and pilot tested at Palo Central School with Grades 5 and 6 pupils as participants during the incumbency of former governor and now Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla. She said the module was developed after Petilla shared a recent study that stated Leyte has a high number of teenagers engaged in premarital sex.

"According to him [Petilla], pregnant mothers are getting younger and younger, the youngest of whom he had encountered was only 12 years old. That made him decide to craft a module designed for school children," Cawile said.

She stressed that children and adolescent need accurate and comprehensive education about sexuality to practice healthy sexual behavior as adults in the future. The module emphasizes that early, exploitative and risky sexual activity may lead to health and social problems such as unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, among others.

Teenagers may have knowledge about sex, but they don't have the emotional maturity to handle the objective areas of sexuality. The population officer, however, said sex education is still best taught by parents.

ARSE is now part in the lessons in various schools in the province, including Grades 7 and 8 high school students.