What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
I am a firm believer that family planning truly offers a lot of benefits for both the mother and child, the whole family, and even the whole country, especially here in the Philippines. Fast-paced population growth represents one of the major population concerns in the Philippines, a country of 80 million people where the average number of children born to a woman is close to four and where a sizable 37 percent of the population is under age 15 (Collymore, 2003). Family planning can truly aid in reducing the population to help eradicate the most common problem in the country, poverty.
Family planning (FP) is when both the husband and wife share the responsibility to openly discuss together and mutually decide how many children they would like to have and when, to sufficiently offer care, attention, good education, and love to each of their children (Family planning: What and why?, n.d.) This can be achieved through utilization of different forms of contraception in consideration of the health condition/status, financial capacity, and eligibility of the couple to pursue such contraceptive method. I truly vouch for family planning for it significantly improves maternal and child health survival (Guttmacher Institute, 2008). Meeting the unmet need for natural and artificial contraceptive use can remarkably contribute to reducing maternal mortality globally since it will allow the woman to avoid becoming pregnant too early, too late, or too often (Guttmacher Institute, 2008). It also helps protect her from any health risks that may occur before, during or after childbirth (e.g Pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, Eclampsia). Right birth spacing or a 3-year interval between pregnancies can also lower infant mortality by a significant percentage (Guttmacher Institute, 2008).
Family planning also reduce the number of unsafe abortions especially in adolescent pregnancies. It will allow teenagers to markedly reduce the risk of getting pregnant and eliminate the idea of aborting the fetus via a procedure that is unsafe, harmful, and illegal. It can also protect them from the physical, emotional and financial burden of unplanned pregnancy; especially those pregnancies that happened from rape or physical/sexual violence (The Medical City, 2020). After all, females who are 10-19 years old are more likely to have infants born preterm, with lower birth weights, and an overall high risk of neonatal mortality (The Medical City, 2020).
Family planning is also one good way to minimize and prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS, gonorrhea and chlamydia (The Medical City, 2020). Improved and non-judgmental access to contraceptive tools like female and male condoms reduces the rate at which STIs, including HIV, are spread (Guttmacher Institute, 2008). Moreover, to the extent that HIV-positive women are better able to prevent unplanned pregnancies and births, they are also helping to reduce the rate of new HIV infections (Guttmacher Institute, 2008).
Family planning is also a form of empowerment (Guttmacher Institute, 2008). When the couple has sufficient knowledge about the various contraceptive methods and what their options are, they can truly make sound decisions in life. It can help them decide on what’s best for their sexual and reproductive health. By carefully spacing pregnancies, a couple can build financial security, allowing them to raise a family that they can properly care for. A family that is properly cared for is a healthy family, and a healthy family is the foundation of a healthy community (The Medical City, 2020). Women who have the capacity to take a hold and control the timing of pregnancies can also allot more time to grab economic and educational opportunities and take advantage of them. Achieving personal advancements with help from family planning can truly improve the woman and her family’s future.
Again, to reiterate, Family planning also promotes economic and social development and security (Guttmacher Institute, 2008). Rapid and high population growth hampers poor countries’ economic development as their expanding population growth competes for limited resources such as food, housing, schools and jobs. Family planning can render societies more stable and lead to civil rest (Guttmacher Institute, 2008).
Family planning truly offers a variety of benefits not just for the woman but even for the child and the whole society. In the Philippines, Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 promotes access to family planning. The law mandates that “All accredited public health facilities shall provide a full range of modern family planning methods, which shall also include medical consultations, supplies and necessary and reasonable procedures for poor and marginalized couples having infertility issues who desire to have children: Provided, That family planning services shall likewise be extended by private health facilities to paying patients with the option to grant free care and services to indigents…” (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). As advocates of health, let us start promoting family planning in the littlest of our ways. Educate the people on what it truly is and how it benefits the whole family in the long run. We’re all in this together!
References:
Collymore, Y. (2003). Rapid population growth, crowded cities present challenges in the Philippines. https://www.prb.org/resources/rapid-population-growth-crowded-cities-present-challenges-in-the-philippines/
Family planning: What and why? (n.d.). https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/need-family-planning-handouts.pdf
Guttmacher Institute. (2008). World population day-Six reasons to support family planning. https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2008/07/world-population-day-six-reasons-support-family-planning
Philippine Commission on Women. (n.d.). Republic Act 10354: The responsible parenthood and reproductive health act of 2012. https://pcw.gov.ph/republic-act-10354/#:~:text=No%20person%20shall%20be%20denied,or%20has%20had%20a%20miscarriage.#
Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
Yes, I am in favor of the Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. The law’s guiding principles values “the provision of ethical and medically safe, legal, accessible, affordable, non-abortifacient, effective and quality reproductive health care services and supplies is essential in the promotion of people’s right to health, especially those of women, the poor, and the marginalized, and shall be incorporated as a component of basic health care” (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). This is very important in a middle-income country like the Philippines. Most Filipinos lack sufficient education and financial capacity to even consider gaining little knowledge about the topic. With this law, there is improved access to health care services and FIlipinos will definitely most likely adhere to it as it is affordable and effective at the same time.
The law also presents that “The State shall promote programs that: (1) enable individuals and couples to have the number of children they desire with due consideration to the health, particularly of women, and the resources available and affordable to them and in accordance with existing laws, public morals and their religious convictions” (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). From here, we can definitely see how the law values the people’s rights to make free and informed decisions concerning their reproductive health. The best options will just be laid out for them but they still have the right to decide for themselves without any forms of coercion and misunderstanding.
This law also “promote and provide information and access, without bias, to all methods of family planning, including effective natural and modern methods which have been proven medically safe, legal, non-abortifacient, and effective in accordance with scientific and evidence-based medical research standards such as those registered and approved by the FDA” (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). As mentioned previously, family planning is significantly important to improving maternal and child health, reducing the number of unsafe abortions, preventing sexually-transmitted diseases or STDs, promoting women empowerment, and improving social and economic development and security. For all these positive benefits, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Part of the law’s guiding principles is the active participation by non-government organizations (NGOs), women’s and people’s organizations, civil society, faith-based organizations, the religious sector and communities as well (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). These organizations and/or groups can play a significant role in ensuring that the policies, plans, and programs will address the priority needs of women, the poor, and the marginalized.
While this Act recognizes that abortion is illegal and punishable by law, it still stated that the government will ensure all women needing care for post-abortive complications and all other complications arising from pregnancy, labor and delivery and related issues shall be treated and counseled in a humane, nonjudgmental and compassionate manner in accordance with law and medical ethics (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.). It also promotes the idea that “gender equality and women empowerment are central elements of reproductive health and population and development” (Philippine Commission on Women, n.d.).
The Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 has a lot of provisions that truly values and emphasizes the reproductive needs of everyone especially of women in their childbearing age. The law does this while ensuring the people’s rights to equality and nondiscrimination, the right to sustainable human development, the right to health which includes reproductive health, the right to education and information, and the right to choose and make decisions for themselves in accordance with their religious convictions, ethics, cultural beliefs, and the demands of responsible parenthood. And yes, again, I am in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions?
Reference:
Philippine Commission on Women. (n.d.). Republic Act 10354: The responsible parenthood and reproductive health act of 2012. https://pcw.gov.ph/republic-act-10354/#:~:text=No%20person%20shall%20be%20denied,or%20has%20had%20a%20miscarriage.#