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What do you think are the reasons for the high unmet need of FP in the Philippines?
The reason for the high unmet need for family planning in the Philippines is the gap between the sexually active women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy and their use of contraceptives. Also, one of the stated reasons for the unmet need of using contraceptives is infrequent sex and women not perceiving themselves to be at risk of pregnancy. Some married women also mentioned health issues (e.g. weight loss, chemical toxicity, bleeding, weakness, headaches, or stomachaches, fear of devices getting lost inside the body) as reasons for avoiding modern methods. Missed opportunities to provide family planning counseling and to address women’s concerns at antenatal care, postnatal care, and other contact points remained high, meaning most women are deprived of access to information about reproductive health. And though some women had already used contraception, there is a lack of effort in improving continuation rates. Most importantly, social norms play a huge role in the failure to meet the need of family planning in the Philippines (Casterline, 2020). Until now, reproductive and sexual health are still sensitive topics to discuss at home (Jaymalin, 2019). On top of that, society has reinforced the perception that virginity at marriage is important and this discourages women, especially teenagers and unmarried women, from asking for help, accessing services, and using contraceptives effectively.
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What are ways you can suggest to increase the practice of FP in the country? Give at least 1-2 suggestions.
EXPAND ACCESS TO CONTRACEPTIVES
One of the suggestions to increase the practice of Family Planning in the Philippines is to advocate for the expansion of access to contraceptives and reproductive health services and to make this possible, the government should be able to increase sales outlets of cost-effective contraceptives. There should also be a stronger effort to advertise the availability of contraceptives in public sectors such as government hospitals, rural health units/urban health centers, and barangay health stations, especially to the poor women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy, as they are the major sources of modern contraceptives in the Philippines. Three out of four women who use contraceptives obtain their supplies from the public sector. This will certainly encourage new acceptors, retain current users, and increase contraceptive use (Malhotra & Bhat, 2014).
BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Personally, I think women nowadays, especially of reproductive age, are more open to discussions about reproductive health. According to Philippine Statistics Authority, the number of women using contraceptives has tripled over the last 30 years. However, these discussions remain outside of their homes. Though far from the desired societal acceptance, I think really pushing for reproductive health teaching and counseling, provided it is correct and adequate, can aid in reducing the stigma on utilizing the reproductive health services being offered by our law. If we successfully inform individuals of their reproductive rights and increase their awareness of available, safe, and effective contraceptive methods, their benefits to health, and of their family’s well-being, improved health-seeking behavior is expected. Moreover, there should be an improvement in openness to discuss this matter with partners (getting men involved), families, and friends, which will then result in increased contraceptive use and retention rates (United Nations in Health, 2006).
References
Casterline. (2020). Factors underlying unmet need for family planning in the Philippines. Studies in Family Planning, 28(3). Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9322334/#:~:text=This%20article%20investigates%20four%20explanations,%3B%20(4)%20as%20due%20to
Family Planning | Philippine Statistics Authority. (2013). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from Psa.gov.ph website: https://psa.gov.ph/tags/family-planning
Jaymalin, M. (2019, March 31). Sex discussions still taboo in Filipino homes — Popcom. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from Philstar.com website: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/04/01/1906327/sex-discussions-still-taboo-filipino-homes-popcom
Malhotra, V., & Bhat, S. (2014). Strategies for family planning going forward - social marketing & expanding contraceptive choices package. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 140 Suppl(Suppl 1), S6-8. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4345755/
United Nations in Health. (2006). Meeting the need : strengthening family planning programs. New York: Unfpa ; Seattle, Wa.