Answer the following questions and post your answers here. Cite references if possible.
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What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
I believe that family planning should be practiced even despite the negative flack that it receives from the conservative citizens of the Philippines. It has great contributions to maternal and child health by promoting fertility control, sexual education, and maternity care. Additionally, it is an effective intervention to prevent the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases. This also assures the capability of the family and avoids unplanned pregnancies.
For me, family planning should be made more accessible. Although the government promotes family planning on paper, they are still lacking in terms of widespread dissemination of information as well as distribution of devices such as condoms, birth control pills and IUDs. Their contribution to this cause is very significant to break down the social stigma and promote better acceptance to the use of family planning. As members of our own social institutions, we should also fulfill our responsibilities to correct misconceptions and combat negative attitudes towards this field of healthcare.
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Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
I am a huge advocate of recognizing the politics of health. This is due to the fact that it is such a volatile system that is affected by government bodies, particularly by the laws that they will be passing down. Although some may believe that the delivery of healthcare should be “apolitical” since it becomes apprehensive to our clients, I think that we should recognize its connection to laws that are set up for the health of the public. As stated above, I am all for the practice of family planning, and I believe this is strengthened by the Reproductive Health law and its provisions.
Even as a catholic christian, I promote the establishment of the RH law. I think that at its essence, it is pro-choice and pro-life while ensuring the improvement of maternal, infant and child health. Abortion, to the dismay of the catholic clergy, is healthcare and should not be denied to people. The proponents of the law (according to the Philippine Commission on Women) including the promotion of breastfeeding, prevention of STDs, elimination of VAW, sexual and reproductive counseling, is one step towards promoting a safer Philippines.
References:
Philippine Commission on Women (n.d.) Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. Retrieved from https://pcw.gov.ph/republic-act-10354/