Using photovoice and life course theory to understand the lived experiences of Filipino teenage parents.

Teenage parents face the unique challenge of simultaneously navigating adolescence and parenthood. Rising adolescent pregnancy rates in the Philippines necessitate urgent efforts to better understand and support them. Using photovoice, Filipino teenage parents captured their lived experiences through photographs, resulting in eight themes: (1) managing stresses and conflicts in partner relationships, (2) peers as a source of emotional support, (3) support and strain in family relationships, (4) shifts in normative adolescent experiences and priorities, (5) strain and agency in balancing roles, (6) desire to enhance parenting knowledge and skills, (7) environmental drivers of early sexual exposure, and (8) sexual knowledge from social media. Interpreted through Elder's life course theory, results revealed challenges framed by relationship strains and support in the transition to parenthood, and structural and sociocultural norms within low-resource contexts. Teen parents demonstrated agency in balancing education and employment and desiring to enhance caregiving. The study highlights the value of participatory approaches centering on adolescent voices so as to provide contextually grounded insights to inform interventions for adolescent and parent well-being and prevention of early pregnancy.