What do you think are the reasons for the high unmet need of FP in the Philippines?
A 2011 family health survey conducted by PSA revealed that unmet need for family planning among married women in the country is at 19.3% which is considerably high. One of the main reasons for such issue I can think of is women’s inability to access family planning services from the government. According to Machiyama, et al. (2017), there are barriers other than good quality and affordable services. These obstacles include fear of health side effects, normative acceptability (including religious concerns), social acceptability (including the important matter of the partner’s approval), and various possible informational and other cultural factors (Campbell, et al., 2006).
There is also a need for more health education on family planning and use of contraceptives. Informational barriers due to lack of knowledge on the matter pose a significant influence on the use of contraceptives to women which results in low prevalence of contraception (Cleland, et al., 2014).
Lastly, social opposition as evidenced by the strong conservative beliefs in the country also have an effect on the non-use of contraceptives and family planning among families (Casterline & Sinding, 2000). To address such problem, promoting family planning in a manner that emphasizes its importance to family health might encourage
What are ways you can suggest to increase the practice of FP in the country? Give at least 1-2 suggestions.
In reference to a research by Malhotra & Bhat (2014) on strategies on family planning implementation, some suggestions to increase the practice of family planning in the Philippines are:
- Expand the basket of contraceptives in terms of options, information, access, and service provider relations
- Expand the access, both financial and physical acceptance of contraceptive with the help of information education and communication (IEC) materials
- Increase knowledge and awareness of providers and acceptors, especially through proper implementation of family planning programs
In the Philippines, the commonly used modern family planning methods are pills, condom, female sterilization, male sterilization, intrauterine device (IUD), injection, diaphragm/foam/jelly/cream, mucus/Billings/ovulation, LAM, temperature, and standard days method (PSA, 2003). Continuous advocacy on the use of the above mentioned methods would surely increase the practice of family planning in the long run.
References:
Campbell, M., Sahin-Hodoglugil, N. N., & Potts, M. (2006). Barriers to fertility regulation: A review of the literature. Studies in Family Planning, 37(2), 87–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4465.2006.00088.x
Casterline, J. B., & Sinding, S. W. (2000). Unmet need for family planning in developing countries and implications for population policy. Population and Development Review, 26(4), 691–723. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2000.00691.x
Cleland, J., Harbison, S., & Shah, I. H. (2014). Unmet need for contraception: Issues and challenges. Studies in Family Planning, 45(2), 105–122. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1728-4465.2014.00380.x
Machiyama, K., Casterline, J. B., Mumah, J. N., Huda, F. A., Obare, F., Odwe, G., Kabiru, C. W., Yeasmin, S., & Cleland, J. (2017). Reasons for unmet need for family planning, with attention to the measurement of fertility preferences: Protocol for a multi-site cohort study. Reproductive Health, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-016-0268-z
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–S8
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2003, May 8). Use of Modern Methods up in Most Regions (Final Results from the 2002 Family Planning Survey). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved March 18, 2022, from https://psa.gov.ph/content/use-modern-methods-most-regions-final-results-2002-family-planning-survey
Philippine Statistics Authority. (2012, May 25). Unmet Need for Family Planning Remains High (Results from the 2011 Family Health Survey). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved March 18, 2022, from https://psa.gov.ph/content/unmet-need-family-planning-remains-high-results-2011-family-health-survey