1. What is your opinion about the practice of family planning? Are you for it or against it?
I am for the practice of family planning. Even though my parents may have not conducted family planning, as I remember them telling me that they did not stop until we had a baby sister, I support the concepts and principles behind family planning. Although we are very fortunate to have enough for the whole family, it is sad to think that there are people who are not as lucky as we are and are currently suffering the consequences of the lack of family planning.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (2021), family planning is the information, means and methods that allow individuals to decide if and when to have children. This includes a wide range of contraceptives – including pills, implants, intrauterine devices, surgical procedures that limit fertility, and barrier methods such as condoms – as well as non-invasive methods such as the calendar method and abstinence. Family planning also includes information about how to become pregnant when it is desirable, as well as treatment of infertility.
Furthermore, the UNFPA (2021) presents three main reasons why family planning must be considered a human right. Firstly, family planning saves lives as contraceptives prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the number of abortions, and lower the incidence of death and disability related to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Secondly, family planning empowers women because access to contraceptive information is central to achieving gender equality. When women and couples are empowered to plan whether and when to have children, and how many, women are better enabled to complete their education; women’s autonomy within their households is increased; and their earning power is improved. Lastly, family planning brings economic benefits, as it can help countries realize a 'demographic dividend', a boost in economic productivity that occurs when there are growing numbers of people in the workforce and falling numbers of dependents.
2. Are you in favor of the Reproductive Health Law and its provisions? Elaborate your answer.
The Republic Act No. 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) Law of 2012 is a legislation that guarantees and enables measures for the sexual and reproductive rights of women, men, and young people and families through comprehensive and accessible reproductive health services, including family planning (DOH, n.d.). The provisions of the Law include developing policies, procuring drugs and supplies for the poor, conducting training to RPRH service workers, generating demand for RPRH services and essential commodities, educating and mobilizing communities, financing RPRH programs, and overseeing the implementation of the RPRH Law.
Given how critical the RPRH Law is as a piece of legislation, I am absolutely for it and its provisions mentioned earlier. Universal access to responsible parenthood services and reproductive health care are indispensable building blocks to the sustainable growth and development of the Philippines. It is a fundamental law helping Filipino mothers survive pregnancy and childbirth, giving couples and individuals the tools to make informed choices about their families, and contributing to the improvement of the sexual and reproductive health of young people, to the eradication of gender-based violence, and to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. This law upholds our right to equality and nondiscrimination of these rights, the right to sustainable human development, the right to health which includes reproductive health, the right to education and information, and the right to choose and make decisions for ourselves in accordance with our religious convictions, ethics, cultural beliefs, and the demands of responsible parenthood (Philippine Commission on Women, 2012).
References:
Department of Health. (n.d.) Journey to the RPRH Law. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://doh.gov.ph/sites/default/files/publications/RPRH%20Law%20%28RA%2010354%29%20Report%2C%202015%20%28Popular%20Version%29-min.pdf
Philippine Commission on Women. (2012). Republic Act 10354: The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. GOV-PWC. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://pcw.gov.ph/republic-act-10354/
UNFPA. (2021, August 16). Family planning. United Nations Population Fund. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.unfpa.org/family-planning#readmore-expand