Contraceptives: A Precursor to Family Planning
Having a healthy family comes along with proper family planning. It is important to take note that family planning includes birth control in its scope and limitations. Using contraceptives is very effective in helping the couple better follow their family plans. With that being said, the ideal contraceptive must be as effective, safe, tolerable, and convenient as possible. In the Philippines alone, pregnancy has been a critical issue. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), there were 1.9 million unintended pregnancies recorded in 2008 alone. In addition to that, the NSO claims that hypothetically, if all fertile women had access to effective contraceptive methods, unintended pregnancies would decline by 800,000 per year.2
The following article focuses on family planning with respect to the reproductive system. This article also aims to provide the most ideal contraceptives to use given the health system and customs here in the Philippines. So what are the most common forms of birth control (such as contraceptives) in the Philippines?
CONDOMS
The most well-known mechanical method of contraceptives is using of condoms. Condoms are widespread in the Philippines. There are condoms available in more or less every convenience store. Also, not only do condoms decrease the rate of unwanted and untimed pregnancy, they also prevent HIVs and STDs, two very common reproductive diseases that deplete the health of sexually active but unprotected individuals.
NATURAL METHODS
The most cost-effective method is by means of natural methods. This includes pulling out, a practice where the man pulls out of the woman’s vagina before ejaculating. Other natural methods include periodic abstinence wherein the couple does not have sex at the time when the girl is most fertile. Both examples don’t require any use of artificial contraceptive devices; however, it also doesn’t guarantee a 100% no-pregnancy rate.
CONTRACEPTIVE IMPLANTS
Aside from surgical means such as sterilization and vasectomy, these are the most effective contraception. Contraceptive implants have a failure rate of only 0.05%! So how do these contraceptive implants work? Basically, the implant is easily inserted for around one minute under the skin of the upper arm. Once inserted, the implant slowly releases a hormone (called etonogestrel) into the body. This hormone causes several things to happen that prevent pregnancy such as the ovaries not releasing eggs and the uterus blocking its opening by forming thick cervical mucus. The implant lasts up to 3 years. After that, the hormone supply runs out and it stops working. In which case, you may opt to get a new implant once the old one is removed. What’s more is that the removal takes about three minutes. The one and only disadvantage of this method is that it costs money; in particular, it can range anywhere from 0$ to 800$.1
ABSTINENCE
The most certain and most cost-efficient form of birth control is to simply not do it at all. Think about it—abstinence is “the only birth control method that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases.”5 It doesn’t even cost anything to be abstinent. It’s best to save this for the right time when both couples are mentally, emotionally, and financially stable and capable of raising a child.
Indeed, there are other well-known contraceptive methods that weren’t expounded on such as sterilization, vasectomy, and vaginal rings (e.g. NuvaRing6). However, it is important to note that the aforementioned are the most effective ones in terms of preventing untimed and unwanted pregnancy. In addition to that, the expounded methods take into consideration the context of the Philippines, the availability of such resources, and its cost-effectiveness.
In summary, contraceptives are a precursor to family planning. The use of contraceptives is important in ensuring the well-being of the family as well as the safe upbringing of the children in the future. Each and every contraceptive mentioned has its own sets of advantages and drawbacks, so it is important to carefully choose the method that is most appropriate for the user’s own situation.
REFERENCES
1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. N.p. n.d., 11 January 2015
2. National Statistics Office (NSO) and ICF Macro, Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey, 2008, Calverton, Maryland, USA: NSO and ICF Macro, 2009.
3. Philippines DOH, NSO and U.S. Agency for International Development, Fertility and family planning: 2011 family health survey, 2012
4. Population Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World contraceptive use 2011. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/contraceptive201 1/wallchart_front.pdf. Accessed 22 September 2017.
5. Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC. What Does Abstinence Mean in Contraception?. https://www.verywell.com/what-is-abstinence-906601. Accessed 22 September 2017.
6. NuvaRing http://www.nuvaring.com/consumer/how_to_use/
The following article focuses on family planning with respect to the reproductive system. This article also aims to provide the most ideal contraceptives to use given the health system and customs here in the Philippines. So what are the most common forms of birth control (such as contraceptives) in the Philippines?
CONDOMS
The most well-known mechanical method of contraceptives is using of condoms. Condoms are widespread in the Philippines. There are condoms available in more or less every convenience store. Also, not only do condoms decrease the rate of unwanted and untimed pregnancy, they also prevent HIVs and STDs, two very common reproductive diseases that deplete the health of sexually active but unprotected individuals.
NATURAL METHODS
The most cost-effective method is by means of natural methods. This includes pulling out, a practice where the man pulls out of the woman’s vagina before ejaculating. Other natural methods include periodic abstinence wherein the couple does not have sex at the time when the girl is most fertile. Both examples don’t require any use of artificial contraceptive devices; however, it also doesn’t guarantee a 100% no-pregnancy rate.
CONTRACEPTIVE IMPLANTS
Aside from surgical means such as sterilization and vasectomy, these are the most effective contraception. Contraceptive implants have a failure rate of only 0.05%! So how do these contraceptive implants work? Basically, the implant is easily inserted for around one minute under the skin of the upper arm. Once inserted, the implant slowly releases a hormone (called etonogestrel) into the body. This hormone causes several things to happen that prevent pregnancy such as the ovaries not releasing eggs and the uterus blocking its opening by forming thick cervical mucus. The implant lasts up to 3 years. After that, the hormone supply runs out and it stops working. In which case, you may opt to get a new implant once the old one is removed. What’s more is that the removal takes about three minutes. The one and only disadvantage of this method is that it costs money; in particular, it can range anywhere from 0$ to 800$.1
ABSTINENCE
The most certain and most cost-efficient form of birth control is to simply not do it at all. Think about it—abstinence is “the only birth control method that is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases.”5 It doesn’t even cost anything to be abstinent. It’s best to save this for the right time when both couples are mentally, emotionally, and financially stable and capable of raising a child.
Indeed, there are other well-known contraceptive methods that weren’t expounded on such as sterilization, vasectomy, and vaginal rings (e.g. NuvaRing6). However, it is important to note that the aforementioned are the most effective ones in terms of preventing untimed and unwanted pregnancy. In addition to that, the expounded methods take into consideration the context of the Philippines, the availability of such resources, and its cost-effectiveness.
In summary, contraceptives are a precursor to family planning. The use of contraceptives is important in ensuring the well-being of the family as well as the safe upbringing of the children in the future. Each and every contraceptive mentioned has its own sets of advantages and drawbacks, so it is important to carefully choose the method that is most appropriate for the user’s own situation.
REFERENCES
1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. N.p. n.d., 11 January 2015
2. National Statistics Office (NSO) and ICF Macro, Philippines National Demographic and Health Survey, 2008, Calverton, Maryland, USA: NSO and ICF Macro, 2009.
3. Philippines DOH, NSO and U.S. Agency for International Development, Fertility and family planning: 2011 family health survey, 2012
4. Population Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World contraceptive use 2011. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/contraceptive201 1/wallchart_front.pdf. Accessed 22 September 2017.
5. Dawn Stacey, PhD, LMHC. What Does Abstinence Mean in Contraception?. https://www.verywell.com/what-is-abstinence-906601. Accessed 22 September 2017.
6. NuvaRing http://www.nuvaring.com/consumer/how_to_use/
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