Quaran-teen pregnancy: Pregnant teenage couples\u27 attitudes and subjective norms towards teenage pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic

Teenage pregnancy continues to be a longstanding national crisis in the Philippines, with teenage pregnancy rates increasing annually. During the COVID-19 pandemic, teenage pregnancy rates in the Philippines spiked despite the implementation of health and safety protocols across the country. Thus, the study aimed to describe the possible reasons for the increase in teenage pregnancy rates in the Philippines during the pandemic. Specifically, the study utilized the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) to describe the attitudes and subjective norms that might have influenced Filipino teenage couples’ intentions to become pregnant. Semi-structured interviews with six Filipino teenage couples who became pregnant during the pandemic were conducted. The couples were asked about their attitudes and subjective norms towards sex and teenage pregnancy in general and in the context of the pandemic. Responses were analyzed using three thematic analyses: per gender, per couple, and across all couples. Results were divided into five sub-categories: (1) Attitudes about Sex; (2) Attitudes Towards Teenage Pregnancy; (3) Perceived Beliefs of others about Sex; (4) Perceived Beliefs of others about Teenage Pregnancy; and, (5) Motivation to Comply with Perceived Beliefs of others about Sex and Teenage Pregnancy. A total of forty-two themes were identified from the results. The results suggest that pregnant teenage couples had common attitudes and subjective norms towards both sex and teenage pregnancy which had influenced their intentions to become pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic