After affluent Alabang, local politicians shut down access of women in poor communities to contraceptives

Balanga, Bataan — Maricel Sakdalan, 27, is nervous. Soft-spoken and shy, she shuffles uncomfortably in her seat, visibly anxious. She doesn’t know if she’s pregnant or not.

She and her husband already have three children and with his measly earnings, they cannot afford another one.

“My husband is a fisherman and does not have a steady income. Sometimes he can earn as much as P500 a day. On a bad day, [he earns] only P100, and on a really bad day, nothing. And me, I am just a housewife.”

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For her contraception needs, Maricel would go to the local health clinic in Balanga, Bataan for a hormonal injection that would prevent her from getting pregnant for at least three months.

But Maricel has not been able to get a shot since August. She was told that the local health clinic could no longer administer injectables since an ordinance was passed banning all forms of modern contraception in seven barangays in Bataan, including her own.

Desperate, Maricel went to the local drugstore to buy birth control pills or condoms, but found none for sale. Commercial drug stores have also been banned from selling them.

Banning contraceptives

In March of this year, Barangay Ordinance No. 3, which banned the sale of modern forms of contraception, was passed in seven barangays in Bataan: Puerto Rivas Itaas, Puerto Rivas Ibaba, Puerto Rivas Lote, Tortugas, Cupang Proper, Cupang West and Tanato.

The ordinance which was written in Filipino is entitled “Protection of the Life and Safety of the Unborn”.

Newsbreak was able to secure a copy of the Tortugas ordinance, which explicitly defines abortifacients as any device, medication or substance that harms, puts in harm’s way or causes the death of an unborn child. The ordinance further lists IUDs and hormonal contraception like birth control pills as abortifacients.

It also states that condoms promote promiscuity among the youth and infidelity among married couples.

Persons engaged in the promotion, sale, prescription, advertisement of these forms of contraception are going to be fined between P200-P400 for a first offense and a maximum of P1,000 for their third offense.

If a commercial establishment violates any of the provisions, the president or chief executive officer will be made to pay the fine. In addition, their barangay permit to operate will be revoked.

Furthermore, it states that barangay budgets will be spent only on promoting natural family planning methods among those who are married or those who are planning to get married.

‘Nothing to give’

Dominga Manalang, a health worker who has worked in Balanga since the 1970s, says that because of the ban, they have had to curtail their services.

“It was our standard practice to reach out to the women in the community with four or more children and proactively educate them about family planning options,” explains Manalang.

“There are many women asking us for contraceptives, but we have nothing to give them. We have always taught all forms of family planning and left it up to the women to decide what method is right for them,” she adds.

But many women would chose modern forms of contraception because “periodic abstinence is not advisable for some women who don’t see their husbands regularly or whose husbands will not take no for an answer when it comes to sex.”

Manalang says that even without the ban, contraceptive supplies have been erratic. The ban has only further exacerbated the problem.

And it is women like Maricel who pay the price.

According to Maricel, she and her husband had originally wanted to have only two children. “But I would sometimes go to the clinic when it’s time for my injection only to be told there is no supply. I think that’s why I got pregnant with the youngest who is three years old.”

Now, there are no supplies at all, and as Maricel found out, no supplies even to be bought.

Unmet need

According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, poor families are larger than non-poor families by more than one member. On the average, 21 out of every 100 poor families had at least 7 members in 2003 compared to only 6 among the non-poor.

Poor women end up having more children than they want or afford. In contrast, their wealthier counterparts are able to achieve their fertility goals.

A study entitled, “Unmet Need for Contraception in the Philippines” done by US-based reproductive health think tank, Guttmacher Institute found that Filipino women are having more children than they want, especially among poor women.

Guttmacher works to advance sexual and reproductive health through research and policy analysis. In the case of the Philippines, Guttmacher states that in 2008, an estimated 1.3 million pregnancies were unintended and these occurred among women who were not using any contraceptive method at all.

The most commonly used methods of contraception were the pill and female sterilization, accounting for more than two-thirds of all contraceptive use in the Philippines. Natural family planning methods were least used.

Aggressive misinformation

Adoracion dela Pena is a Bataan-based field officer of Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines (DSWP), a national federation of grassroots community women’s organizations working towards the passage of the RH Bill and the advancement of women’s rights.

Dela Pena shared with Newsbreak the results of a series of interviews with barangay officers (kagawad). Dela Pena found that barangay officers from the seven barangays were asked by the city government to attend a seminar about reproductive health. During the seminar, they were shown videos of babies being aborted, and were told that this is a result of contraception like hormonal birth control pills and IUDs.

They were made to understand that if they are against abortion, they should sign the ordinance. Then they were told about the barangay’s plans to pass an ordinance to prevent this from happening.

DSWP Field Officer Dory dela Pena conducts (2nd from left) during an outreach talk in Bataan

Barangay Puerto Rivas official Angol Diaz was one of the barangay officials interviewed by dela Pena. Diaz said that he just signed the ordinance without really understanding what it was about because he was told that it was an urgent bill that needed to be passed.

In an interview withNewsbreak, barangay official Wilfredo Reyes admitted that he had not even read the entire ordinance but still signed it, not being fully aware of its implications.

Balanga Mayor Joet Garcia was not available for comment on the issue, but Mayor Joel Payumo of Dinalupihan of a neighboring municipality who supported the passage of the barangay ordinance, told Newsbreak in a telephone interview: “Our religious beliefs were factored in drafting this ordinance. That was more important. It is the responsibility of parents to plan for their families. Local government funds are best spent and kept elsewhere [rather than family planning]. Anyway, they are free to buy their choice of contraceptives from other places, and can easily do so. Just not in our part of Bataan.”

The Alabang experience

The ordinance is very similar to one that was passed in the affluent community of Ayala Alabang at the beginning of the year.

In that case, condoms could not be purchased without a prescription. Residents led by former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Lea Salonga and Senator Pia Cayetano mobilized protests, calling it an infraction of their right to choice and a clear invasion of their privacy.

The ordinance was eventually overturned. But it may not be as simple for Bataan.

Elizabeth Angsioco, chair of the DSWP, explains: “The communities in Bataan are small fishing communities. These are simple people who are scared to question this. Plus, it is the city government itself pushing for its implementation, which has far reaching consequences. They can, for example, impose such things withdrawing your business license if you sell condoms.”

“This really highlights the importance of the Reproductive Health Bill. Without national legislation, RH policies will remain to be based on the personal beliefs and whims of those in power rather than the good of their constituents.”

And unlike Alabang, there has been no such uproar in Bataan simply because the residents are scared. “In the absence of a critical mass who are willing to stand up to this ordinance, the issue has not been getting enough attention,” says Angsioco.

And women like Maricel will continue to anxiously wait, their fear about an feeding and raising another child not getting the attention it deserves.

Editor’s Note: The author is founder of sexandsensibilities.com. This is part of a research project with Newsbreak.

        

This amateur video competition sought to focus on young people and their take on responsible parenthood, reproductive health, and population and development. All the video entries were screened and judged by representatives from the film industry, pro- and anti- RH bill camps, population institutes and religious groups. Videos are judged based on their creativity, visual impact, clarity of message, and social relevance.

Videos which made it to the top 10 are:

Ang Nasa Isip Ko
Baon
Diploma
Kristal
Landas
Mulat Kabataan
Pangarap
RH Bill: Kahirapan o Kaunlaran?
The Game
Tingog

Entries from as far as Cavite, Davao, Iloilo, Quirino, Quezon City and Makati City made it to the top list, and the finalists used a variety of styles: infographic video, animation, drama, experimental.

Most video entries centered on subjects like premarital sex, condoms, teenage pregnancy and overpopulation, showing us the issues in which the youth are most interested or concerned.

Watch the ten finalist videos by logging on to http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/wearerh. To vote for your favorite video, simply click Online Voting on the website.

You can also vote via text. Simply text RH VOTE to 2256, where you will be asked to register with RH VOTE <entry number>/<your name>/<age>/<email add>. You can vote everyday. Each text costs Php 2.50.

The voting period is from November 4 to November 26, 2011.

Don’t forget to watch the “We Are Right Here. We Are RH.” TV special on November 20, 2:00 PM on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

Aside from fame and nationwide reach, winners shall also get cash prizes, cool and sleek video cameras and trophies.

Special awards shall also be given by the United Nations Population Fund and the Knowledge Channel.

Only the SMS and the online votes can determine the winners, so vote now!

Taken from a press release provided by Mulat Pinoy

        

If you are 25 years old or younger, muster your creative energies and make your video for “We are Right Here. We are RH.”! This amateur video contest puts the spotlight on young people and their take on responsible parenthood, reproductive health, and population and development. Share your views on the use of condoms, family planning, sex education, or anything related to the RH Bill. Be it a public service announcement or commercial, a mini-documentary, animation or a dramatic scene, you have the freedom to speak your mind on video the best way you know how.

Your video should be at least 90 seconds and at most 8 minutes. You can use any type of video camera. Whether it’s a cell phone camera, your iPod or iPad’s Face Time, or a pro DSLR, the sky’s the limit! Final edited videos should be in forms of .avi, .mp4, .mpeg, .mpg, .mov and .wmv. The “We are RH. We are Right Here.” video contest supports originality. Make sure that the videos, clips, movies and sounds you use are your own.

Finalists’ videos entries will be featured in a TV special to be aired on one of the most prestigious networks in the country, the ABS-CBN News Channel. The producers and directors of the winning video clips will also be interviewed. Selected entries shall also be aired on the Knowledge Channel program, Peliculab.

Aside from fame and nationwide reach, winners shall also get the following cash prizes: Php 25,000 for the First Prize, Php 15,000 for the Second Prize and P10,000 for the Third Prize. They will also receive trophies, and video cameras from Creative Zen.

A special citation award shall be given by the United Nations Population Fund to one entry that best embodies their theme for 2011, “The World at 7 Billion.” The winner of this special award will receive P15,000, a video camera and a trophy. UNFPA will also use the selected video entry in their 7 Billion information campaign.

Be part of the discussion. Let your voice be heard. Join “We are Right Here. We are RH.” The deadline for entries is October 15, 2011. For more information visit our website: http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/wearerh

Contact:
Regina Layug-Rosero/Dante Gagelonia
Project Coordinators, Mulat Pinoy
Email: regina@mulatpinoy.ph, dante@mulatpinoy.ph, wearerh@mulatpinoy.ph
Web: http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/wearerh
Telephone: (+632) 4330456

        

Amateur filmmakers are invited to submit short films on reproductive health.

Do you wish your videos were on TV instead of YouTube? Are you a budding amateur filmmaker? Hoping to have your own cool video camera? This might just be your big break!

Join “We are Right Here. We are RH.”! This amateur video contest puts the spotlight on young people and their take on responsible parenthood, reproductive health, and population and development.

If you are 25 years old or younger, muster your creative energies and make your video! Share your views on the use of condoms, family planning, sex education, or anything related to the RH Bill. Be it a public service announcement or commercial, a mini-documentary, animation or a dramatic scene, you have the freedom to speak your mind on video the best way you know how.

Your video should be at least 90 seconds and at most 8 minutes. You can use any type of video camera. Whether it’s a cell phone camera, your iPod or iPad’s Face Time, or a pro DSLR, the sky’s the limit! Final edited videos should be in forms of .avi, .mp4, .mpeg, .mpg, .mov and .wmv. The “We are RH. We are Right Here.” video contest supports originality. Make sure that the videos, clips, movies and sounds you use are your own.

Finalists’ videos entries will be featured in a TV special to be aired on one of the most prestigious networks in the country, the ABS-CBN News Channel. The producers and directors of the winning video clips will also be interviewed. Selected entries shall also be aired on the Knowledge Channel program, Peliculab.

Aside from fame and nationwide reach, winners shall also get the following cash prizes: Php 25,000 for the First Prize, Php 15,000 for the Second Prize and P10,000 for the Third Prize. They will also receive trophies, and video cameras from Creative Zen.

A special citation award shall be given by the United Nations Population Fund to one entry that best embodies their theme for 2011, “The World at 7 Billion.” The winner of this special award will receive P15,000, a video camera and a trophy. UNFPA will also use the selected video entry in their 7 Billion information campaign.

The deadline for entries is September 30, 2011.

Join the discussion. Let your voice be heard. And let Mulat Pinoy be the channel for your shout-out to the world. Join “We are Right Here. We are RH.”

Contact:
Regina Layug-Rosero/Dante Gagelonia
Project Coordinators, Mulat Pinoy
Email: regina@mulatpinoy.ph, dante@mulatpinoy.ph, wearerh@mulatpinoy.ph
Web: http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/wearerh
Telephone: (+632) 4330456

Mulat Pinoy: Popdev and Social Media for the Youth
A project of the Probe Media Foundation, Inc.
Supported by the Philippine Center for Population and Development

We Are Right Here.We Are RH.
This video contest is brought to you by Mulat Pinoy.
http://www.mulatpinoy.ph/wearerh
wearerh@mulatpinoy.ph

        

DKT Reproductive Health and Filipinay in partnership with Sex and Sensibilities would like to invite all UP-Diliman students to join the contest and win up to PhP15,000 in cash!

This is supported by the UP RH AGENDA (Reproductive Health and Gender Advocates Movement).

MECHANICS:

1. All enrolled UP students will be eligible to join the contest. They
must form a group of 4-10 students to create a mandala using pills and
condoms. Materials will be provided. Please register by emailing
sas.art.h@gmail.com, or contacting +63917-851-0209 or +63917-836-0345
from September 1-22, 2011.

2. Groups must indicate which time slot they prefer for the ART-H
Primer on Monday, September 26, 2011 at PH 400: a) 10AM to 12PM or b)
12PM-2PM.

The ART-H Primer consists of a sexual health and mandala art workshop.
Registered groups MUST attend the ART-H Primer.

3. Groups will be divided into two for the contest proper: Batch 1
(Groups 1-5) will create mandalas on Tuesday, September 27, and Batch
2 (Groups 6-10) will decorate it on Wednesday, September 28 at the
Palma Hall Lobby from 11:30AM to 1:00PM).

Based on their learning from the ART-H Primer, student groups will
relate their mandala designs to issues on sexual health rights,
women’s health, and informed choice.

4. Mandalas will be displayed in front of the CSSP Student Council
Office for a week and will be evaluated by a panel of judges. An
online component will also be done where designs will be uploaded on
the Sex and Sensibilities Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/pages/SexandSensibilitiescom) and generate
the most number of “likes” by Wednesday, October 5.*

Criteria:

30%
Number of participants per group who attend the
ART-H Primer on Monday, September 26

35%
Number of “Likes” in the entry as posted on
Sex and Sensibilities FB page

35%
Judges’ Evaluation

PRIZES:

First Prize:
P15,000

Second Prize:
P12,000

Third Prize:
P10,000

*All artwork produced by contestants will remain the property of SexandSensibilities.com and DKT Reproductive Health.

        

Seen at the gallery were actress Heart Evangelista, Gemma Cruz-Araneta, Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Risa Hontiveros, and Bishop Rodrigo Tano, among others.

According to Ramon San Pascual, Executive Director of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), the drove of community leaders, public officials, showbiz personalities and civil society activists indicate momentum of RH bill progressing towards passage in the Senate.

“We are positive that yesterday’s sponsorship speech, will pave the way for the swift movement of the RH bill in the Senate,” San Pascual said. “The show of support not only from the non-government and civil society organizations but more from the leaders of the country as well as from concerned celebrities is a welcome development.”

San Pascual further said that the show of support in the galleries of the Senate from various walks of life confirms the broad support of Filipinos for the passage of the RH bill.

“The RH bill is long overdue and should be passed in the earliest possible time,” San Pascual stressed

        

By ELENA MASILUNGAN
Newsbreak’s Maggie De Pano Fellow

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is one of a few countries in the world where abortion is a criminal act, with no legal exception.

Since 1930, abortion has been a crime under Philippine law. The 1987 Philippine Constitution further underlines this when it stated that the State “shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.”

The Penal Code punishes both intentional and unintentional abortion. Acts of violence committed against a pregnant woman that resulted in an abortion is a key element of the crime, even if there is no intention on the part of the offender to end the pregnancy.

Aside from the woman who commits abortion “to conceal her dishonor,” the law also holds either or both of her parents accountable when, with their daughter’s consent, they caused the abortion.

Doctors and midwives “who take advantage of their scientific knowledge or skill” to carry out an abortion, are also answerable to the law. So are pharmacists who give out “any abortive” with no “proper prescription from a physician.”

Penalties for those found guilty of committing abortion range from arresto mayor, or imprisonment of one month and one day to six months, in the case of pharmacists to reclusion temporal, or imprisonment of 12 years and one day to 20 years, to those who caused intentional abortion through violence.

Doctors and midwives are penalized with a six-year imprisonment. The woman and either or both her parents can also get prison sentences of up to six years.

No exception

Some legal experts contend that a provision in the Constitution— “equally protect the life of the mother”— allows therapeutic abortion or intentionally terminating a pregnancy for medical reasons, especially when the life or health of the mother is at stake.

In practice, however, many doctors are not willing to risk doing it since there is nothing definite in the existing law nor is there any policy or regulation that justifies such an exception.

For countries that allow therapeutic abortion, the following instances justify terminating a pregnancy:

• Medical condition or illness of the mother where continuing the pregnancy may threaten her life or her health, such as hypertension, eclampsia, diabetes, and various forms of cancer, including those affecting the breast, the ovary and the cervix;
• Fetal impairment where the pregnancy is likely to result in the birth of a baby with significant mental or physical defects, or where the baby will eventually die soon after birth; and
• When the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

The ban even on therapeutic abortion in the Philippines is one of the reasons why women undergo unsafe abortion, according to the World Health Organization, which said that the legality of abortion is a key determinant of maternal mortality and morbidity.

        

By ELENA MASILUNGAN
Newsbreak’s Maggie de Pano Fellow

Poor pregnant women are faced with very few choices

MANILA, Philippines – Many mothers go through abortion for economic reasons.

According to a 2006 study made by the Guttmacher Institute, the average Filipino woman wants 2.5 children, a goal that can be achieved if she uses effective family planning methods. But to almost half of the female population, this need remains unmet.

The study also notes that nearly half of the 1.43 million pregnancies each year in the country were unintended and six out of 10 Filipino women had experienced an unintended pregnancy.

Amelia is weighed down–figuratively and literally–by the bags she’s selling and the burden of earning a living for her 8 children

“I never wanted a large family,” said Amelia, the street vendor we interviewed for this series. After the birth of her second child, she asked the midwife in the health center about family planning.

When she asked about free condoms and contraceptive pills, the midwife informed her that they were not giving them out anymore ever since the city mayor issued an order allowing only natural family methods for residents.

By coincidence, a nongovernment organization visited the community to research on the reproductive health practices of the women living there. It also held training on family planning and maternal and child health for the mothers.

“I attended the training. They also gave free condoms to us. One day, they came with doctors who did tubal ligation to mothers who wanted to have them. At another time, the doctors did vasectomy,” she said.

Amelia availed of the free condoms and gave them to her husband. “At first, he did not want to use it. He said there was no need for us yet to plan our family because we had just two children at that time. But I was stubborn. I told him that ‘no condom, no loving-loving.’ Eventually, he gave in,” Amelia said, laughing.

The NGO stayed in the community for a little over a year. When it left, Amelia’s supply of free condoms went with it.

“When the NGO left, we bought our own condoms but only if we had extra money. Later on, what extra money we had we spent on food and other expenses for the children. We used ‘withdrawal’ but it is not as effective as the condom. So I started getting pregnant again,” she said.

When Amelia learned that she was pregnant with her ninth child, she became desperate.

“I thought at once of abortion.” Many of her neighbors who had unwanted pregnancy had been through it already anyway. A  hilot living in their neighborhood helped perform the abortion. Amelia told her husband what she  wanted to do. “He agreed because he knew that with the kind of life that we have right now, there is no way that we can afford another child.”

Posters around the Fabella Memorial Hospital speak about saving mothers’ lives. The Philippines has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Southeast Asia

The decision almost cost Amelia her life. (See first part:Dying in silence, how abortion kills)

Gambling with life

“Once a woman has decided to have an abortion because of an unwanted pregnancy, there is nothing much that anybody can do to change her mind. Not even a doctor’s cautionary advice will do,” noted Dr. Alejandro San Pedro, an OB-Gyne.

As chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of the Bulacan Provincial Hospital, San Pedro has counseled a number of women who have dealt with unwanted pregnancy and has experienced treating patients with post-abortion complications as a result of unsafe abortion.

A woman with an unwanted pregnancy is ready to risk all to end it, doctors say.  Many go to the extent of having an unsafe abortion where the possibility of suffering from further disabilities, and even dying, is a real gamble.

While Filipinos generally believe that pregnancy is a blessing from the heavens, not all pregnant women feel the same way.

This is true among many poor mothers particularly when the prospect of having one more child could spell economic doom for the family. This is also true for those who want to protect their health from medical complications arising from pregnancy.

There are also women who opt to have unsafe abortion rather than give birth to a child who was the result of rape or incest. Or those who do not want to get pregnant but are unable to control their fertility because of lack of access to information and affordable contraceptive methods.

Therapeutic abortion

Most doctors interviewed for this story think that abortion is justified in certain cases, particularly if based on ethical grounds.

One is when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The other is when it threatens the health, or even the life, of the mother, such as when she has eclampsia, malignant hypertension, or a heart condition.

They would also consider therapeutic abortion in cases of ectopic pregnancy or fetus malformation or deformity such as anencephaly, a condition present at birth where the brain of the baby does not develop fully and for which there is no treatment.

But doctors in the country are in a legal bind even on this matter. (See: what the law says about abortion)

“In other countries, doctors will end the pregnancy as soon as they detect anencephaly,” said an OB-Gyne doctor, who prefers to remain anonymous.

In the Philippines, doctors are compelled to let the pregnancy continue and wait for the baby to die, which may take a few hours, days, or weeks after delivery, she added. “In some ways, it would be kinder to just end the pregnancy rather than have the mother carry it to term when there is no chance at all that her baby will live longer.”

While it appears more humane and compassionate, especially for the mother, to terminate an anencephalic pregnancy, doctors do not do this in deference to the guidelines of the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society that regard the fetus “as a patient from the time of conception.”

This blanket ban further fuels the demand for underground and unsafe abortion services in the country.

Dangerous procedures

The common ways of unsafe abortion include painful massages by hilots, taking abortion-inducing drugs such as misoprostol, inserting catheters or other pointed objects into the uteri, undergoing dilation and curettage (raspa), drinking herbal concoctions that induce muscle contractions in the uterus, and even doing heavy physical labor and jumping from great heights.

Many women combine two or three of these methods together when trying to get rid of unwanted pregnancies.

But these methods of getting rid of a fetus could be dangerous. A whole range of medical complications can develop from unsafe abortion, including hemorrhage, sepsis, perforation of the uterus, damage to other internal organs, and toxic reactions to the chemicals or the drugs taken to induce abortion.

Patients may also have to undergo hysterectomy and be unable to bear children anymore in the future. Worse, complications from unsafe abortion can be fatal and can result in the patients’ death.

These risks, however, are not enough to deter women from having an abortion.

Pregnant women wait to consult a doctor at the Fabella Memorial Hospital

A 2008 Guttmacher Institute study bears this out: out of 560,000 women who had induced abortions, 90,000 of them were treated for complications, and 1,000 of them died because of these post-abortion complications.

Choices

“If I have other choices, I would not have an abortion,” Amelia said.  “I wanted to try and use contraceptives but I don’t have any money to buy them. I tried withdrawal, even abstinence, but they didn’t work.”

After her abortion, while recovering in the hospital for complications she sustained after the procedure, Amelia asked the doctor to do a tubal ligation on her. “I should have done it years ago when doctors brought by the NGO offered to do it for us for free. But I did not know any better then.”

Having an abortion is one experience that she said she does not want to ever live through again. “I do not want to experience that terrible pain again. I do not want to experience being scolded and shamed by people who do not know me. I do not want to experience the panic and fear of being arrested or losing my life,” she said.

The way things are, Amelia said, she will never live down the guilt. “The guilt because I killed my own child never leaves me. They said I will never be forgiven by God for this one sin.”

The only remedy to salve a guilty conscience is to pray. “I keep praying to Him everyday. I believe that He understands my reason for doing what I did. If He cannot forgive me, I pray that He can at least have mercy on me,” she sighed.

        

Brush up on natural family planning 101 by learning about these 5 non-invasive methods. By Myra Mortega

The recent deprioritization of the RH Bill places the spotlight once again on the use ofcontraceptives. However, women shouldn’t be left in the dark about their options while waiting for the administration to finish its dialogue with the Catholic Church.

After all, women can still lower the chances of unwanted pregnancy without the use of contraceptives. Natural birth control methods give women a chance to get to know their body better and be in tune with its physical changes.  And unlike modern contraceptive methods, being aware of natural family planning techniques can actually increase your chances of pregnancy once you finally decide to have a baby.

But keep in mind that, in order for these methods to work, you and your partner should fully commit to these methods and follow them without fail. International organization FHI reports that there’s “a high failure rate” if couples are not very keen in following instructions to the letter, so take the time to sit down and talk to your partner about it. Also, these don’t protect you from contracting sexually transmitted diseases, so it’s best discuss this with your partner as well. However, these present a viable option for couples who wish to take the natural route in preventing pregnancy.

(Photo by pedrosimoes7 via Flickr Creative Commons)

1. BASAL BODY TEMPERATURE METHOD(BBT)

Generally speaking, a woman’s body temperature spikes a bit just after ovulation.Georgetown University’s Institute for Reproductive Health states that body temperature “rises slightly to about .2 degrees Celsius or .4 degrees Fahrenheit after ovulation.” This method makes use of this fact and entails meticulous temperature observations. Users of this method should take their temperature upon waking up every morning. The temperature is then recorded and plotted in a graph, so that a slight increase in temperature is easily noticed.

Days to avoid: Couples should avoid intercourse from the end of the menstrual period until three days after the temperature increase.

Risk: Ovulation is not the only factor that causes temperature increase. Temperature readings can also be affected by certain conditions (like inability to sleep properly) or sickness (such as fever).

Failure Rate: This method is often confused with the Symptothermal Method. With perfect use, the BBT has a failure rate of 2 percent, while typical use shows a failure rate of 15 percent.

(Photo souce: sxc.hu)

2. THE OVULATION/CERVICAL MUCUS METHOD

As the name suggests, this method focuses on mucus secreted by the cervix. Users have to check regularly for mucus–like the Basal Temperature Method, this requires attention to detail. Women who want to use this method are encouraged to keep a calendar that charts the days of their period as well the days before and after, taking special note of the color and consistency of their vaginal mucus. Usually, the vagina gets dry right after menstruation, but becomes wet and slippery before ovulation. During the peak day of the ovulation process, the mucus becomes thick and, while this may sometimes go away, but the feeling of dryness comes back during the onset of menstruation.

Days to avoid: Since women are fertile during the ovulation period, couples should avoid having sex when the woman secretes mucus, up until four days after the peak day.

Risk: The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) claims that there are cases when mucus is still produced during menstruation, making a viable environment for sperm to live in. Vaginal infection, sexual excitement, and lubricants also factor in mucus productions, so those are things that users have to watch for.

Failure Rate: According to Epigee.com, this method is not as reliable as other birth control methods and has an average failure rate of 20 percent.

(Photo knuton via Flickr Creative Commons)

3. SYMPTOTHERMAL METHOD

4. CALENDAR/RHYTHM METHOD

5. LACTATIONAL AMENORRHEA