Birth Control: Its Effect to our Society

Chapter 1

Family planning involves decisions made by women and men concerning their reproductive
lives and most importantly whether, when, and under what circumstances they have children.
Couples have to make decisions about whether to engage in sexual activity that could lead to
pregnancy, whether to use birth control, and whether to terminate a pregnancy.

Birth control and abortion aren’t new. Family planning has been practiced for centuries.
Early methods weren’t always safe or effective. For example, centuries ago Chinese women drank
lead and mercury to reduce fertility, which sometimes lead to sterility and death.

https://family.findlaw.com/reproductive-rights/birth-control-background-and-history.html

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 48.9 percent (2011, CIA World Factbook). In a 2001 Time sex
survey 68 percent of males and 32 percent of females said they used a condom and 40 percent of
males and 53 percent of females said they had never used a contraceptive. Even though the
Philippines has one of the highest population rates in Southeast Asia the use of artificial
contraception is the lowest in region.

The use of condoms is sensitive issue. In many cases the people who would benefit the
most from birth control are the ones least likely to use it. One mother of nine who lives in a slum in
Manila told the International Herald Tribune, Children “eat more as they age. Even with my new
job...we barely have enough money. I am scared to use contraceptives and do not know what to do
if I get pregnant again.”

In the Philippines access to birth control is mostly limited to those with the means to buy it.
A "reproductive health bill" in the national legislature seeks to change that: It calls for public
education about contraceptives and government subsidies to make them available to everyone. The
church and like-minded opponents have stalled the legislation for 14 years. (Kenneth R. Weiss,
2012).

According to a 2008 government survey, 39 percent of married Philippine women in their

childbearing years said they wanted to avoid or postpone pregnancy but were not using modern
contraceptives. By far, the most commonly cited reason was fear of side effects. Other reasons
included a husband's opposition, cost and lack of availability. Half of all pregnancies in the
Philippines are unintended, the survey found.

“Although 80 percent of the population here identifies itself as Catholic, polls have
consistently indicated that slightly more than 70 percent support the reproductive-health law (See
Below). The Philippines has one of the highest birthrates in Southeast Asia, and surveys indicate that
54 percent of the pregnancies that occur each year are unintended or unwanted. The vast majority
of those pregnancies occur among poor women with little or no access to modern contraceptives.”
(Tom Hundley, 2013).

http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6c/entry-3858.html
 The Department of Health (DOH)-Davao reported that based on the National Demographic
Health Survey (NDHS) in 2017 released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Davao Region has the
highest number of adolescent birth rate ages 10 to 19 across the country.
DOH-Davao Family Cluster head Dr. Raquel Montejo on Monday, July 09, 2018 said during
the Kapehan sa Dabaw at The Annex of SM City Davao that there is an alarming increase of teenage
pregnancy, thus, they are focusing their programs on addressing this growing problem among the
youths who have already engaged in early sexual activity.
One of the factors that contributed to the spike of child-bearing among teenagers is the lack
of information and proper guidance of youth on sexual education. Since education begins at home, it
was noted that parents fell short in inculcating sexual and reproductive health to their children.
Davao City Population control officer Jeff Fuentes said they continue to strengthen
their advocacy and awareness campaign. He said that curiosity among teens cannot be eradicated,
thus, they are promoting sexual education. The Davao City Health Office is strengthening the
adolescent program due to the increasing adolescent ESA. The term PMS, he said, is no longer
applicable in today’s generation since there are lesbians, gay, bisexual, and transgender, who also
engage in sexual activities sans marriage. (Juliet C. Revita, 2018)

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1751969