What do you think are the reasons for the high unmet need of FP in the Philippines?
According to the Likhaan Center for Wome’n’s Health Inc. (2010), 22% of married women are able to get pregnant, but are either currently do not want to bear a child or not at all and are not using contraception while 17% of married women use traditional and natural family planning methods. This situation describes the unmet need for contraception in the country and can be largely attributed to the religious background of the country but there are other factors that influence the population’s refusal of family planning.
- Fear of Side Effects. The most common reason for this unmet need is women’s fear of the side effects of various contraceptive methods; and this is greatly due to widespread misinformation and their incomplete understanding of the concept of family planning (Diamond-Smith et al., 2012).
- Belief of Low Chance of Getting Pregnant. Another common reason is that many women believe that they are unlikely to become pregnant with 41% of women having this opinion (LCWH, 2010). The most reason for this is that they have sexual intercourse infrequently.
- Cost of Family Planning Methods. The excessive cost of contraception, especially for those in the marginalized sector serves as a barrier.
What are ways you can suggest to increase the practice of FP in the country? Give least 1-2 suggestions.
- Education. The main reason for the unmet need for family planning in the country is the population’s lack of knowledge on the topic which leads to the spread of misinformation. By raising the standards of sex education, women and their partners would be able to make educated and informed decisions regarding the matter. Education can also serve as a platform for open discussions on the topic of family planning in order to eliminate the stigma.
- Better Cost and Access. Combatting the inaccessibility of family planning services in the country can aid in addressing its unmet need. This is addressed in the RH Law but it still needs improvement. Having facilities that offer accessible and affordable services is a must, especially in marginalized areas, as this is where they will be able to gain the necessary information and services to attain good reproductive health.
Reference:
Diamond-Smith, N., Campbell, M., & Madan, S. (2012). Misinformation and fear of side-effects of family planning. Culture, health & sexuality, 14(4), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2012.664659
Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc. (2010). Facts on barrier to contraceptive use in the Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/factsheet/fb-contraceptives-philippines.pdf