Summary of support and criticism

Proponents argue: (1) Economic studies, especially the experience in Asia,[4] show that rapid population growth and high fertility rates, especially among the poor, exacerbate poverty and make it harder for the government to address it.[5][6] (2) Empirical studies show that poverty incidence is higher among big families.[5][7] Smaller families and wider birth intervals could allow families to invest more in each childs education, health, nutrition and eventually reduce poverty and hunger at the household level.[1][4][5] (3) Ten to eleven maternal deaths daily could be reduced if they had access to basic healthcare and essential minerals like iron and calcium, according to the DOH; (4) Studies show that 44% of the pregnancies in the poorest quintile are unanticipated, and among the poorest women who would like to avoid pregnancy, at least 41% do not use any contraceptive method because of lack of information or access.[4][5] and "Among the poorest families, 22% of married women of reproductive age express a desire to avoid pregnancies but are still not using any family planning method,"[4] (5) use of contraception, which the World Health Organization has listed as essential medicines,[8][9] will lower the rate of abortions as it has done in other parts of the world, according to the Guttmacher Institute.[10] (6) An SWS survey of 2008 showed that 71% of the respondents are in favor of the bill,[11] (7) at the heart of the bill is the free choice given to people on the use of reproductive health, enabling the people, especially the poor to have the number of children they want and can care for. Opponents of the bill argue that: (1) "The world's leading scientific experts" have resolved the issues related to the bill and show that the "RH Bill is based on wrong economics" as the 2003 Rand Corporation study shows that "there is little cross-country evidence that population growth impedes or promotes economic growth".[12][13] (2) The bill takes away limited government funds from treating many high priority medical and food needs and transfers them to fund harmful and deadly devices.[14] The latest studies in scientific journals and organizations show that the ordinary birth control pill,[15] and the IUD[16] are abortifacient to fertilized eggs: they kill young human embryos, who as such are human beings equally worthy of respect,[17] making the bill unconstitutional.[18][19] (3) Leading secular social scientists like Nobel prize winner, George Akerlof and US National Defense Consultant, Lionel Tiger, have shown empirical evidence that contraceptives have deleterious social effects (abortion, premarital sex, female impoverishment, fatherless children, teenage pregnancies, and poverty).[20][21] Harvard Director Edward Green concluded that the "best studies" show that more condoms promote the spread of AIDS. Combined estrogen-progestogen oral contraceptives (the most common type prescribed globally) are carcinogenic, and confers other serious health risks. The increased usage of contraceptives, which implies that some babies are unwanted, will eventually lead to more abortion. (4) People's freedom to access contraceptives is not restricted by any opposing law, being available in family planning NGOs, stores, etc. The country is not a welfare state: taxpayer's money should not be used for personal practices that are harmful and immoral; it can be used to inform people of the harm of BCPs. (5) A 2009 survey showed that 92% rejected the bill when informed of its detailed provisions and penalties (6) The penal provisions constitute a violation of free choice and conscience, and establishes religious persecution. President Aquino stated he was not an author of the bill. He also stated that he gives full support to a firm population policy, educating parents to be responsible, providing contraceptives to those who ask for them, but he refuses to promote contraceptive use. He said that his position "is more aptly called responsible parenthood rather than reproductive health."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reproductive_Health_bill#Summary_of_major_provisions

Benefits of Meeting the Need for Modern Methods

Government action to increase access to modern contraceptives is urgently needed, given the high rate of unintended pregnancies, which accounted for more than half of pregnancies in 2008.4 Unplanned pregnancies and births place a large and costly health burden on women, their families and the health system. In 2008, there were approximately 4,700 maternal deaths, more than half of which were among women who had had unintended pregnancies. One thousand of these deaths were due to unsafe abortion. If all women who wanted to avoid pregnancy used modern methods, there would be 1.6 million fewer pregnancies each year in the Philippines. Unintended births would drop by 800,000, abortions would decline by 500,000 and miscarriages would decline by 200,000. Expanding modern contraceptive use to all women at risk for unintended pregnancy would prevent 2,100 maternal deaths each year. It would also reap savings on medical care for pregnant women and newborns that would more than offset the additional spending on modern contraception.4

Recommendations

Changes must be made in government policies, programs and health insurance coverage if the existing need for contraceptive care is to be met. These changes are especially necessary to reduce barriers for poor and low-income women and couples, to enable them to obtain the contraceptive services they need to reduce unintended pregnancy, unplanned child-bearing and unsafe abortion. The national Department of Health and PhilHealth should make improved family planning a major public health priority and ensure that funding is provided seamlessly from the national to the local levels, as it is for the national immunization program. The government should fulfill its role as guarantor of supplies and services for the poor. The national government and the relevant departments especially the Department of Health and the Office of the Presidentshould fully exercise their standard-setting and regulatory powers over LGUs to prevent contraceptive bans and reverse them where they exist. The Department of Health and LGUs must improve the quality of family planning services by complying with standards that include providing a wide choice of methods and responding to clients actual and perceived health concerns.

Except where otherwise noted, the data are from Demographic and Health Surveys.
References 1. Natividad JN and Marquez MP, Sexual risk behaviors, in: Raymundo CM and Cruz GT, eds., Youth Sex and Risk Behaviors in the Philippines: A Report on a Nationwide Study 2002 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFS 3), Quezon City, Philippines: Demographic Research and Development Foundation, University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI), 2004.

2. 3. 4.

Ron I et al., Local-Level Contraceptive Prevalence Rate Performance Analysis in the Philippines: Selected Main Findings vis--vis Study Objectives, Manila, Philippines: ABT-PSP-One and UPPI, 2010. Special tabulations of data from the 2004 Philippines Community-Based Survey of Women, Guttmacher Institute and UPPI. Darroch JE et al., Meeting womens contraceptive needs in the Philippines, In Brief, 2009, New York: Guttmacher Institute, No. 1.

http://www.likhaan.org/content/facts-barriers-contraceptive-use-philippines

In 1998, RH was a bland program that 2 DOH secretaries wished to mainstream into the health system. Now, RH or reproductive health is a byword that has gripped the public consciousness. Majority have supported RH in endless surveys while congressional and presidential debates have erupted on the issue. Why is there majority support for RH? Many strategic and practical reasons. Here are 10 easy ones: 10 good reasons to pass RH Bill
1 Protect the health & lives of mothers The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that complications arise in 15% of pregnancies, serious enough to hospitalize or kill women. From the 2 million plus live births alone, some 300,000 maternal complications occur yearly. This is 7 times the DOHs annual count for TB, 19 times for heart diseases, and 20 times for malaria in women. As a result, more than 11 women die needlessly each day. Adequate number of skilled birth attendants and prompt referral to hospitals with emergency obstetric care are proven life-saving solutions to maternal complications. For women who wish to stop childbearing, family planning (FP) is the best preventive measure. All 3 interventions are part of RH. 2 Save babies Proper birth spacing reduces infant deaths. The WHO says at least 2 years should pass between a birth and the next pregnancy. In our country, the infant mortality rate of those with less than 2 years birth interval is twice those with 3. The more effective and user-friendly the FP method used, the greater the chances of the next child to survive. 3 Respond to the majority who want smaller families Couples and women nowadays want smaller families. When surveyed about their ideal number of children, women in their 40s want slightly more than 3, but those in their teens and early 20s want just slightly more than 2. Moreover, couples end up with families larger than what they desire. On average, Filipino women want close to 2 children but end up with 3. This gap between desired and actual family size is present in all social classes and regions, but is biggest among those who are poor. 4 Promote equity for poor families RH indicators show severe inequities between the rich and poor. For example, 94% of women in the richest quintile have a skilled attendant at birth compared to only 26% in the poorest. The richest have 3 times higher tubal ligation rates compared to the poorest. This equity gap in tubal ligation partly explains why the wealthy hardly exceed their planned number of children, while the poorest get an extra 2. Infant deaths among the poorest are almost 3 times compared to the richest, which partly explains why the poor plan for

more children. An RH law will promote equity in health through stronger public health services accessible to poor families. 5 Prevent induced abortions Unintended pregnancies precede almost all induced abortions. Of all unintended pregnancies, 68% occur in women without any FP method, and 24% happen to those using traditional FP like withdrawal or calendar-abstinence. If all those who want to space or stop childbearing would use modern FP, abortions would fall by some 500,000 close to 90% of the estimated total. In our country where abortion is strictly criminalized, and where 90,000 women are hospitalized yearly for complications, it would be reckless and heartless not to ensure prevention through FP. 6 Support and deploy more public midwives, nurses and doctors RH health services are needed wherever people are establishing their families. For example, a report by the MDG Task Force points out the need for 1 fulltime midwife to attend to every 100 to 200 annual live births. Other health staff are needed for the millions who need prenatal and postpartum care, infant care and family planning. Investing in these core public health staff will serve the basic needs of many communities. 7 Guarantee funding for & equal access to health facilities RH will need and therefore support many levels of health facilities. These range from barangay health stations, for basic prenatal, infant and FP care; health centers, for safe birthing, more difficult RH services like IUD insertions, and management of sexually transmitted infections; and hospitals, for emergency obstetric and newborn care and surgical contraception. Strong RH facilities will be the backbone of a strong and fairly distributed public health facility system. 8 Give accurate & positive sexuality education to young people Currently, most young people enter relationships and even married life without the benefit of systematic inputs by any of our social institutions. As a result of just one faulty sexual decision, many young women and men can lose their future, their health and sometimes their lives. We insist on young voters education for an activity that occurs once every 3 years, but leave our young people with little preparation to cope with major life events like puberty and sexual maturation. 9 Reduce cancer deaths Delaying sex, avoiding multiple partners or using condoms prevent genital warts or HPV infections that cause cervical cancers. Self breast exams and Pap smears can detect early signs of cancers which can be cured if treated early. All these are part of RH education and care. Contraceptives do not heighten cancer risks; combined pills actually reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers. 10 Save money that can be used for even more social spending Ensuring modern FP for all who need it would increase spending from P1.9 B to P4.0 B, but the medical costs for unintended pregnancies would fall from P3.5 B to P0.6 B, resulting in a net savings of P0.8 B. There is evidence that families with fewer children do spend more for health and education. http://www.likhaan.org/content/ten-good-reasons-pass-rh-bill-now