This Policy Note examines whether parent-child discussions about puberty and sexuality are associated with adolescent sexual behaviors among Filipino youth. The findings indicate that such discussions are not significantly associated with the timing of sexual debut, contraceptive use at first sex, unprotected sex, or adolescent pregnancy. Instead, earlier sexual debut is more strongly associated with lower household wealth, lower parental educational attainment, residence outside a two-parent household, and experiences of physical or emotional abuse. The Note also highlights that many adolescent girls reported having first sexual partners much older than themselves, while nearly 1 in 6 adolescents described their first sexual intercourse as forced, unwanted, or pressured. To improve adolescent and reproductive health outcomes, the authors recommend expanding access to adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, strengthening interagency coordination, and providing targeted support to at-risk adolescents. They also call for addressing harmful gender norms through parenting programs and recognizing large age gaps between adolescent girls and their sexual partners as a child protection concern.
