What do you think are the reasons for the high unmet need of FP in the Philippines?
I believe that the reason that there is a high prevalence rate of unmet need of family planning in the Philippines is the lack of education regarding family planning (FP) itself. As a third-world country dominated by Christianity, education on reproductive health especially for the marginalized sector is not accessible. Some families perceive themselves to be at low risk of conceiving despite the high fertility rate of the country. One study stated that out of 849 women recruited, 51.1% currently used effective contraceptive methods, 20.6% were former effective method users and 28.3% had never used an effective method (Nagai et. al, 2019). They have no clue of such family planning methods may they be natural or modern. Along with this, they do not know how beneficial it is. According to Casterline (1997), women fear the aspect of contraceptive pills due to the perceived detrimental side effects of contraception. In addition, there are inaccessible family planning services. Condoms, combined oral contraceptives, and intrauterine devices cost a decent price. There is also the factor of the high teenage pregnancy in the country, amounting to 495 live births per day in the 10 to 19 age group in 2019 according to the philippine statistics authority (Gita-Carlos, 2021). These age groups are not legally allowed to have access to FP methods, therefore, opting for unsafe sexual activities instead. This number is expected to rise even more with girls stuck living in dysfunctional homes because of the pandemic, therefore, being exposed to abuse.
What are ways you can suggest increasing the practice of FP in the country? Give least 1-2 suggestions.
Solving the problem of the high unmet need of FP in the Philippines should be a national movement. A revision of the R.A 10354 aka Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act should be implemented by the government. The overall delivery of Family Planning Services requires that wider legal, policy, social, cultural, and structural barriers be addressed. All government agencies and instruments should be directed to identify and implement practicable interventions such as comprehensive sexuality education, education and employment opportunities, and health promotion through media and communications. Organizations and LGUs should strengthen these in geographically-isolated and –depressed areas such as island municipalities, upland communities, hard-to-reach areas, and conflict-affected areas. It is highly advised that maximizing the use of online platforms should be done in the implementation of these interventions. The prevalence of child abuse, rape, and domestic violence should be reassessed. There should be an expansion in family planning choices in the country. Gone is the shame in properly talking about sexual activities. Religion has been advocated to be separated from the state with their lack of taxes so why should they intervene with the law, especially in topics such as abortion? On the individual level, raising awareness is a good start. We should promote safe sex and break the barrier of the shame of doing it just because we live in a Christian-dominated country. In addition, provide more information to peers and the community on reproductive health and rights.
References:
Casterline, J. B., Perez, A. E., & Biddlecom, A. E. (1997). Factors underlying unmet need for family planning in the Philippines. Studies in family planning, 28(3), 173–191.
Gita-Carlos, R. (2021). Addressing teenage pregnancies declared as ‘national priority’. Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145373
Nagai, M., Bellizzi, S., Murray, J., Kitong, J., Cabral, E. I., & Sobel, H. L. (2019). Opportunities lost: Barriers to increasing the use of effective contraception in the Philippines. In E. A. Micks (Ed.), PLOS ONE (Vol. 14, Issue 7, p. e0218187). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218187