Recently, a photo of a pregnant girl was posted on social media, claiming she is the youngest pregnant child in the Philippines at just 9 years old, with her partner being only 12. This claim was widely shared on social media. However, our verification found that this claim is incorrect.
SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIM
A photo of a pregnant girl has recently been posted on social media, claiming she is only 9 years old and from the Philippines.
This claim has been widely shared on social media, eliciting mixed reactions. Many believe it to be true.
The following is a snapshot from a social media statement on December 23, 2024: “This girl is only 9 years old and from Gensan, Philippines. The father is just 12 years old. This generation is different. When they grow up, it will be like they are siblings.”
The photo and its Khmer translation were posted on social media following the English-language claim that the 9-year-old girl became the youngest pregnant girl in Gensan, with a 12-year-old partner.
Here’s an improved version: “Below is a snapshot of the news posted on social media by a Facebook page on December 22, 2024, stating: “The youngest pregnant girl in Gensan is 9 years old. The youngest father is 12. It’s sad to hear, but praying and hoping for your safe and successful delivery.”
Photos with similar content have also been posted on other social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Threads, Meta’s new social network.
Below is a snapshot of a photo and confirmation post on Instagram from December 23, 2024.
Instagram Post | Archived Link
Below is a snapshot of an Indonesian post on the social network Threads on December 23, 2024, wishing the girl a safe birth.
The claim has recently been posted and shared on TikTok, leading social media users to believe that the girl was indeed pregnant at a young age.
https://www.awesomescreenshot.com/video/34964978?key=efdc704e72b90b0230a2d06f0d628e47
As it continues to gain traction on social media, this claim can be found in posts by other users. Check out the links here: Link 1 (archived), Link 2 (archived), Link 3 (archived), Link 4 (archived), and Link 5 (archived).
FACT CHECK
Fact Crescendo initiated verification of the above claim using AI-generated image detectors, uncovering the following facts.
Analysis by the website Sight Engine, an AI image monitoring software, reveals that the image of the pregnant girl was created by an AI program and is not a real photograph.
The following analysis by the Sight Engine website shows that this image was generated by an artificial intelligence program.
Below are the results of an analysis by Sight Engine on another image, showing that it was created by an artificial intelligence program.
Below are the results of an analysis by Sight Engine on another image, showing that it was created by an artificial intelligence program.
In addition to the analysis by the Sight Engine website, the results from the Hive Moderation website also confirm that this image was created by an artificial intelligence program.
In addition to the analysis by the AI image analyzer, an observation of these images revealed some inconsistencies, such as the pregnant girl wearing different shoes and a different dress.
To verify this claim, Fact Crescendo also checked media reports in the Philippines but found no recent information supporting it.
However, the issue of underage pregnancies is a real concern in the Philippines, particularly in impoverished areas, and it remains a chronic social problem in the country.
Eleven years ago, a 9-year-old girl in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao became pregnant after being raped by her biological father. Read the full article here.
The Trending Facebook page, in Filipino, states that this information is false. The photo of the young-looking pregnant woman is not of the girl who was sexually abused and became pregnant in Gensan, Mindanao.
The same Facebook page states that the case of a 9-year-old girl who became pregnant due to sexual abuse was not made public, and her photo was not released because it was sensitive and affected the victim.
Below is a news report about a 9-year-old girl in the Philippines who became pregnant after being sexually abused by her biological father.
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CONCLUSION
How about this: “Fact Crescendo finds that the above-mentioned claims are false. The claim that this photo shows the youngest pregnant girl in the Philippines is false. The image of the pregnant girl was created by artificial intelligence (AI) software. This AI-generated image is not of a 9-year-old girl who was sexually abused in the Philippines. The girl was not identified or photographed in public to protect her.
Title:AI Images Falsely Portrayed as ‘Youngest Pregnant Child’ in the Philippines
Fact Check By: Jay UdomResult: False
