- What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
- I am definitely FOR family planning. Family planning enables possible and current parents to appropriate their psychological, socio-cultural and economical capacities to the number, timing and spacing of their future children. Not only does it address the country’s existing issues on poverty and overpopulation, it also enables people of reproductive age to prevent unwanted and unexpected pregnancy by pushing for the use of contraceptives. I also believe that through family planning, women empowerment also occurs because women are given the chance to control their reproductive capabilities so that they can still fulfill their goals and dreams regardless of having responsibilities as a mother. Family planning also highlights the role of men in reproduction and shares the responsibility to them instead of putting all of the obligation on women. I think that through family planning, Filipinos would be able to raise healthier and happier children because they are more prepared as parents and they are more capable to support them. Overall, I think that including family planning in postpartum care empowers the parents and champions the needs of their newborn baby.
- Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
- I am IN FAVOR of the Reproductive Health Law. RA 10354 or The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 is a law that aims to promote responsible parenthood by instilling health consciousness, this includes providing accessible health services and universal and free access to modern contraceptives. It addresses the existing poverty and population problem of the country. The law’s aim to provide full access to RH information and avail health services will help women of reproductive age and women in the puerperal stage to be aware of their choices and their power to decide on matters that concern their own bodies. It also allows possible and current parents to be informed that the state provides free contraceptives that will allow them to consider their life circumstances before being parents or before birthing another child. One element in the RH law is the adolescent and youth reproductive health guidance and counseling. I think that with the help of this we decrease the chances of adolescents engaging in unsafe and unprotected sex, we also raise their sexual awareness in order for them to make informed choices regarding this. This addresses the rise in teenage pregnancy which sometimes contribute to the high maternal mortality and morbidity ration in the country. Another element of the RH law is the male responsibility and involvement and men’s reproductive health. This element emphasizes the role of men in reproduction and helps erase the stigma of blaming women for unwanted pregnancy. It highlights the thought that men have the same responsibilities in reproduction as women. Another element involved in the RH Law is the prevention, treatment and management of STIs. Cases of STIs are steadily increasing in the country because more and more people especially adolescents are engaging in high risk sexual activities. It is a must that as a society we remove the stigma that surrounds sex and STIs and RH Law advocates for this by approaching the problem in a manner that would manage the problem rather than stigmatize it further. Although, I think that the law is not perfect and needs improvement in its implementation, I definitely think that it helps address the problems the country is facing regarding sex and reproduction.
Reference:
Simon, F. (2013, March). A Primer on the Reproductive Health Law. https://www.plcpd.org.ph/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/A-primer-on-the-Reproductive-Health-Law.pdf.