Abstract
This study sought to examine how culture and family values impact the perceptions of pregnant Filipina women about themselves. It also explores the experiences of these women and describes the perceived perceptions of Filipino Americans toward adolescent pregnancy. There is a limited amount of published academic literature focusing on social problems in the Filipino American community; therefore, this project will allow future researchers to expand on the findings in order to provide more information on working with Filipino Americans. This research project can help inform professionals in designing effective pregnancy prevention and/or effective parenting programs and providing culturally appropriate services that best meet the needs of Filipina women and their families. The seven subjects for this project were currently 19 years and older, were pregnant between the ages of 13 and 17 years of age, and had parents who immigrated to the United States from the Philippines. An in-depth interview method was used whereby this researcher solicited and discussed these women’s experiences with adolescent pregnancy, how they perceive(d) themselves, what discussions they had with parent(s), guardian(s), and/or family members, and how the Filipino culture and values impacted their perceptions of adolescent pregnancy. The common themes that emerged included family support, interdependence and perseverance, motivation, and religion. The predominant findings concluded that Filipino culture and values influence the perceptions of adolescent pregnancy. Therefore, it is important for professionals to acknowledge the variety of cultures when working with pregnant adolescents. By doing this, it allows professionals to go beyond the general knowledge about working with these populations and provide services that are even more effective.