Answer the following questions and post your answers here. Cite references if possible.
What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
In my opinion, family planning is something that we should advocate and implement in the Philippines. Filipino women in poor households are less likely to practice family planning than those in wealthy households (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2001). There are women who become pregnant even though her family cannot support more children. Aside from this reason, family planning has many more benefits such as avoiding unwanted pregnancies, reducing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, and allowing women to focus more on their health and her family.
According to the Philippines Orphanage Foundation (2020), teenage pregnancy affects 6% of the Filipino girls. It may be a small number but based on the report of Save the Children’s Global Childhood conducted last 2019, the Philippines is the second highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Southeast Asia. Imagine, there are children from ages 10-19 who become young mothers when they could still be enjoying their lives. These young girls, especially those who have not been through puberty yet, are more prone to experiencing preterm labor as well as illegal abortion due to the fact that their physical and emotional state are not yet ready to accept the responsibilities of bearing a child. Through effective family planning, sexual education, as well as contraceptive methods, teenagers will be protected from the burden of early and unsafe pregnancy.
In addition to this, I totally agree with the practice of family planning here in the Philippines especially with the still high percentage of people contracting different sexually transmitted diseases, mainly HIV/AIDS. The predominant mode of transmission is still sexual contact without protection. In line with this, family planning does not only focus on deciding when to conceive a child or how many children would the parents want to have but also how to use contraceptives as well as protect couples (especially teenagers) from acquiring sexually transmitted diseases.
Lastly, family planning allows women to be empowered as she can focus more on her health, aspirations, and household affairs. A family with a concrete family plan can build financial security which allows the parents to raise their children properly. Moreover, according to Tuwaijri & Saadat (2018), family planning allows women to have better control over their lives. For instance, younger women can chase after their goals and have the opportunities to finish their education so that they may excel professionally. Educated mothers are more likely to provide better care than women who are not educated.
Indeed, family planning plays a crucial role in responsible parenthood as childbearing is carefully planned out. This creates family stability as families will be able to focus on their finances, education, other goals, and taking care of their family instead of feeling burdened.
Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
With lack of sex education in the Philippines as well as the condemnation of using modern contraceptives, teenage and unwanted pregnancy cases rose. With that said, of course I am in favor of Reproductive Health Law as well as its provisions wherein it guarantees universal and free access to modern contraceptives for all Filipinos, including government health centers as well as poor communities. This also focuses on providing all Filipinos with affordable as well as quality reproductive healthcare services. Thus, maybe, this will be the way to break the misconceptions as well as the negative responses of the Filipinos towards the concept of sexual intercourse.
As human being, engaging in sexual activities is only natural; however, the issue is whether people will do it safely to avoid health complications such as sexually transmitted infections and unsafe pregnancy, especially among the youth. In a study by Melgar et al (2018), they stated that adolescents are placed at higher risks of abortion, unplanned pregnancy, STDs, and other developmental problems because they are being prevented from being educated. In addition to this, many women who have their own families but are not yet ready to conceive a child were sometimes given no choice but to continue with the pregnancy even though it was not planned because the Filipino society still applies the traditional method of family planning. These can lead to irresponsible parenthood as well as parents and teenagers losing control over their life; therefore, I believe these reasons are enough to be in favor of the RPRH Law.
Parenthood is one of the biggest responsibility a person can handle. Without proper education and careful planning, many health problems will arise as well as emotional problems especially among the youth. I just hope that with this law, we can finally be more educated as it is also part of our rights as humans.
References:
Goldberg, J. (2022, February 22). Philippine Supreme Court Upholds Historic Reproductive Health Law. Center for Reproductive Rights. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://reproductiverights.org/philippine-supreme-court-upholds-historic-reproductive-health-law/
Melgar, J. L. D. (2018, December 12). Assessment of country policies affecting reproductive health for adolescents in the Philippines - Reproductive Health. BioMed Central. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://reproductive-health-journal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12978-018-0638-9
Overview of Family Planning in the United States. (2009). NCBI. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK215219/#:~:text=Family%20planning%20serves%20three%20critical,helps%20reduce%20rates%20of%20infertility.
Philippines Law On Family Planning Will Help Country Achieve Universal Access To Reproductive Health. (2013, June 19). KFF. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://www.kff.org/news-summary/philippines-law-on-family-planning-will-help-country-achieve-universal-access-to-reproductive-health/
Philippines Orphanage Foundation. (2020, September 7). Why So Many Orphans? (Part 2). Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://www.filipino-orphans.org/why-so-many-orphans-part-2/?gclid=CjwKCAiA9tyQBhAIEiwA6tdCrK_ygnQSz5Vh_FYZf2pv3EzFajWKKSeGrVrkzwGQGIqAK2SVDV9wHxoCq4oQAvD_BwE
Women in Poor Households are Less Likely to Practice Family Planning | Philippine Statistics Authority. (n.d.). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from https://psa.gov.ph/content/women-poor-households-are-less-likely-practice-family-planning