1. What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
- I am strongly FOR the practice of family planning. Family planning is a program that aims to let couples/people determine their desired number of children and the gap of every pregnancy (WHO, nd). There are numerous benefits of planning to the family itself and society in general. Family planning can help in addressing one of the problems of the country which is poverty. Through family planning, families can be able to provide for the basic necessities of the children as well as their wants because the economic burden will be reduced thus improving the quality of life of the family. Moreover, family planning greatly helps in the growing population of the country by preventing the occurrence of unplanned/unwanted pregnancies. Family planning does have various advantages in the family such as improving the mother's health, decreasing the risk of unhealthy pregnancy, and promoting responsible parenthood. Mothers will have the times to regain their health and strength after the delivery. Furthermore, family planning helps prevent the risk of unhealthy pregnancy since consecutive pregnancies decrease the chances of survival of the child and put the mother's health at risk. Lastly, family planning helps with parenting as it allows the parents to devote their time and attention to the child before taking care of another child, and also parents will be able to properly take care of their children because of the reduced number of children. Lastly, family planning empowers women as it gives them options by utilizing family planning methods such as the use of contraceptives.
2. Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate on your answer.
- I am in favor of the RA 10354 on Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health or commonly known as Reproductive Health Law (RH Law). This law helps the people most especially the Filipinos belonging to the unprivileged sector of the society to have fair access to family planning information and services. In this way, every Filipino will be educated and informed about family planning. Furthermore, this law aids in ensuring maternal and child health by providing quality medical care to the people. This law also includes sex education and counseling for the people most especially for the youth about reproductive health. I believe that proper sex education is important as it provides them with the right information about responsible sex and reproductive health that helps in reducing teenage/unwanted pregnancies and STDs.
This RH Law should be properly implemented by the authorities to enhance and improve the reproductive health of the Filipino people and the promotion of responsible parenthood. I believe that the proper implementation of this law will be a good move in ending the stigmas surrounding reproductive health.
References:
Cabral, E.I. (2013). Reproductive Health Law in the Philippines. https://www.asean-endocrinejournal.org/index.php/JAFES/article/view/48/471
WHO. (nd). Contraception. https://www.who.int/health-topics/contraception