BURN MAGAZINE
Photographic Essay by Lisa Wiltse, AIB Alumna
Parola Tondo District, Manila, Philippines
© Lisa Wiltse
Pregnant teenagers pass the time in the alleyways and slum of Parola Tondo district, Manila, Philippines
© Lisa Wiltse
Teenage pregnancy is widespread in the Philippines, especially amongst the poor. In Manila, this contributes to overpopulation and the vicious cycle of poverty, another child borne into the ghettos and a teenage Mom bearing the burden of raising a child before her own maturity and adulthood. An estimated 70,000 adolescent mothers die each year in developing countries.
Young mothers face enormous health risks, obstructed labor is common and results in newborn deaths and deaths or disabilities in the mother.
Children are everywhere, tangible evidence of the city’s teenage pregnancy problem. Every year, 13 out of 100 girls aged between 15 and 19 of the Filipino population get pregnant. Health care for Manila’s urban poor is almost nonexistent, while opportunities to learn about contraception in this strictly Catholic country are rare. (excerpt from burn Magazine)
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