Reproductive health policy and the women in Laguna, Philippines

Issue Date

1998

Abstract

The 1995 policy of Laguna Province in the Philippines that limits family planning to only natural family planning methods generated serious concerns among women of reproductive age in Laguna and among reproductive health rights groups in the country. Results conducted to study the responses of women in the province to the family planning policy showed behavioural changes ranging from active to passive acceptance of the administrative order. Active responses included shifting to nearby municipalities to avail of the services, purchasing artificial family planning (FP) methods from the drugstores and going to private hospitals. Some would simply shift to withdrawal or abandon family planning altogether. Ninety percent (90%) of the sample population disagreed with the policy primarily because natural family planning (NFP) is generally perceived to be ineffective as this requires the cooperation of the couples. While NFP provides a safer family planning option for women than artificial FP because it reduces exosures to chemicals like pills and injections, it needs a sensitive information and educational and auxiliary program which is directed to couples. This is expected to ship the burden of family planning from women to couples.

Source or Periodical Title

Journal of Environmental Science and Management

ISSN

0119-1144

Volume

1

Issue

1

Page

29-43

Document Type

Article

Frequency

annually

Physical Description

tables/graphs

Language

English

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