Too often, the burden of adolescent pregnancy is placed on young girls, ignoring the fact that older men are frequently the cause. Changing the narrative means shifting responsibility onto those who should have it: the men pursuing relationships with underage girls. This blog explores why ending adolescent pregnancy requires men to take accountability for their actions.
The Double Standard
- Boys are excused; girls are shamed: Society often blames teenage mothers for their pregnancies while excusing or even ignoring the role of the older men who impregnated them.
- Men evade responsibility: Many men abandon young mothers, forcing them into cycles of poverty and hardship.
- Predatory behavior is normalized: From pop culture to everyday conversations, society often brushes off relationships between older men and young girls as “normal” or “romantic.”
What Men Must Do
- Stop idealizing the pursuit of relationships with underage girls: It is never “just a preference”—it’s exploitation.
- Challenge toxic peer culture: Men need to call out their peers who engage in or encourage relationships with young girls.
- Educate themselves and others: Understanding consent, power dynamics, and male privilege is key to breaking these harmful cycles.
Legal and Policy Changes Needed
- Harsher penalties for statutory rape: No settlements or reduced sentences—perpetrators must face real consequences.
- Mandatory consent education: Boys and men must be taught from an early age what consent truly means and why power dynamics matter.
- Community accountability programs: Involve men in conversations about gender-based violence and adolescent pregnancy prevention.
Adolescent pregnancy is not just a “women’s issue”—it’s a men’s issue too. Until we start holding men accountable for their actions, we will continue to see young girls’ futures derailed. It’s time for boys and men to step up, take responsibility, and be part of the solution, not the problem. By shifting the focus onto male responsibility, we can start dismantling the toxic cultural norms that enable adolescent pregnancy and exploitation.
Sources & Citations
- https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2025481/population-body-notes-alarming-trend-in-teen-pregnancies
- https://reliefweb.int/report/philippines/save-children-philippines-urges-senate-swiftly-pass-adolescent-pregnancy-prevention-bill
- https://psa.gov.ph/content/teenage-pregnancy-philippines-2016-2020
- https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2025/01/12/2413696/advocates-call-better-education-laws-combat-teen-pregnancy-crisis
- https://oxfam.org.ph/oxfam-releases-teenage-pregnancy-study-showing-importance-accepting-pleasure-sexuality-education-among-filipinos/
- https://philippines.unfpa.org/en/news/unfpa-welcomes-hor-approval-adolescent-pregnancy-bill
- https://www.savethechildren.net/news/jump-35-teen-pregnancies-philippines-prompts-calls-increase-sex-education-and-health-services