BENEFITS/IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY PLANNING

Mother

Enables her to regain her health after delivery.

Gives enough time and opportunity to love and provide attention to her husband and
children.
Gives more time for her family and own personal advancement.
When suffering from an illness, gives enough time for treatment and recovery.

Children

Healthy mothers produce healthy children.

Will get all the attention, security, love, and care they deserve.

Father

Lightens the burden and responsibility in supporting his family.

Enables him to give his children their basic needs (food, shelter, education, and better
future).
Gives him time for his family and own personal advancement.
When suffering from an illness, gives enough time for treatment and recovery.

METHODS OF FAMILY PLANNING

Natural family Planning

The natural family planning methods do not include any chemical or foreign body
introduction into the human body.

1.Abstinence

involves abstaining from sexual intercourse and is the most effective natural
birth control method with ideally 0% fail rate.

2.Calendar Method

Also Called the rhythm method this natural method of family planning involves
refraining from coitus during the days that the woman is fertile.

3.Ovulation Detection

The ovulation detection method is an over-the-counter kit that can predict

ovulation through the surge of luteinizing hormone that happens 12 to 24 hours
before ovulation

4.Cervical Mucus Method

The basis of this method is the changes in the cervical mucus during
ovulation.To check if the woman is ovulating, the cervical mucus must be copious,
thin, and watery.
 Hormonal Contraception

These hormonal contraceptives are effective through manipulation of the hormones

that directly affect the normal menstrual cycle so that ovulation would not occur.

1.Oral Contraceptives

Also known as the pill, oral contraceptives contain

synthetic estrogen and progesterone.

2.Vaginal ring

Also known as the pill, oral contraceptives contain

synthetic estrogen and progesterone.

The woman becomes fertile as soon as the ring is removed.

3.Surgical Methods

The two kinds of surgical methods are used by either the male or the female,
and would ensure that conception is inhibited after the surgery for as long as
the client lives.

4.Hormonal Injections

The injection inhibits ovulation and causes changes in the endometrium and
the cervical mucus.

t e x t

PHILIPPINE LAWS/PROGRAMS ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING

Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012

informally known as the Reproductive Health Law or RH Law, is a law in

the Philippines, which guarantees universal access to methods on contraception, fertility
control, sexual education, and maternal care.

Presidential Decree 410

the government has undertaken a national program on population and family

planning involving both public and private sector for the purpose of furthering national
development

Respect for Life. The 1987 Constitution states that the government protects the sanctity
of life. Abortion is NOT a FP method.

Family planning is important for the health of the mother and her children. Frequent pregnancies
often result in serious health consequences for both the mother and her child. And the financial
consequence of having children involves the medical costs of pregnancy and birth and the high
costs associated with actually bringing up children.

Since parents are responsible for providing food, clothing, shelter and education for their children,
family planning has an important long-term impact on the financial situation of the family. Limiting
the number of children will make it possible even for scarce family resources to adequately provide
the children's needs. The idea appears very sensible for a poor country like the Philippines.

Actually, family planning includes contraceptives as one of the couple's options. But more than
that, it also has its sexuality education and natural-family-planning-techniques components. It's the
contraceptives component that the religious sectors are strongly against.

Contraceptives include barrier methods like diaphragms, condoms and hormonal birth control. It
can also include surgery (hysterectomies for women or vasectomies for men) or intrauterine
devices (worn inside a woman's vagina during intercourse). Sex education does not only target
couples but single young people as well, teaching how the reproductive system functions, how to
use contraceptives and about pregnancy and birth control. Natural family planning techniques
teach couples how to chart fertility cycles, so they can abstain from having sex or use a barrier
protection method during fertile times in order to prevent pregnancies.

It is interesting to note that family planning is less prevalent among low-income communities.
These are the areas targeted by the government's low-cost family planning and sex education
services. Incidentally, rapid population growth is not a problem in the Philippines only - the United
Nations has a fund and yearly conference among its member countries to discuss family planning
on a global scale.

Family planning advocates believe that having smaller families means fewer mouths to feed and
better opportunities in life for the children. And this is possible only if couples are educated on the
ways available to control the number of children they will have, just the right number they can
properly raise and sufficiently support. And, again, their choice of family planning method does not
have to go against their religious principles, since contraception is only one of the options.

As has been observed, overpopulation - in the Philippine experience at least - also makes for a
corresponding rise in criminality. It's easy to understand: Densely populated communities have
many young people who don't finish school; and without proper educational credentials, these
people find it hard to get themselves a regular job; and without a regular job, one is like to resort to
questionable means to defray his cost of living. In many cases, it's the simple boredom of not
having productive occupation that egg people to do 'exciting' things.

And it's mostly among young people without jobs that sexual experimentation is prevalent.
Romantic relations and sex are quite effective antidotes to boredom. It's an upward-going vicious
cycle.

On a broader sense, the limited resources of the planet can realistically support only a certain size
of human population. There may be enough for everyone, per divine plan. But given the
characteristic human greed, some people hoard to excesses while others are left with nothing.

It is not a fair world. Majority of the human population are found in the lower tip of the scale. These
are the people that ought to find sensible ways to uplift their condition. These are the people that
need family planning the most.

Benefits of Proper Pregnancy Spacing

Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancies (HTSP) is an intervention to help women and their
spouses delay or space their pregnancies to achieve the healthiest outcomes for the women, their
newborns, infants, and children, within the context of free and informed choice. It takes into
account fertility intentions and desired family size. Individuals and couples are encouraged to
consider health risks and benefits along with other circumstances such as their age, fecundity,
fertility aspirations, access to health services, child-rearing support, social and economic
circumstances, and personal preferences in making choices for the timing of the next pregnancy.

After a live birth, in order to reduce the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal, and infant outcomes,
the recommended interval before attempting the next pregnancy is at least 24 months. The basis
for this recommendation is that, after a live birth, waiting 24 months before trying to become
pregnant again will help avoid the risk of adverse health consequences for both the mother and
her children. In addition, this recommended interval is considered consistent with the
recommendation of the World Health Organization of breastfeeding for at least two years.

The HTSP program promotes healthy outcomes. It makes for healthier children. Evidence
indicates that birth-to-pregnancy intervals of at least two years (almost three years between births)
are associated with decreased risk of neonatal and perinatal mortality, low birth weight for
gestational age, and preterm delivery; decreased stunting or underweight; and allows children and
mothers to experience the benefits of optimal breastfeeding for two years.

It also makes for healthier mothers. The evidence indicates that when birth-to-pregnancy intervals
are more than six months or less than five years apart, there is a reduced risk of maternal
mortality, pre-eclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, puerperal endometritis, third-trimester
bleeding, anemia, high blood pressure, and induced and frequently unsafe abortion.

And waiting until at least the age of 18 years before a first pregnancy helps young mothers reduce
the risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension and associated complications.

Family Planning reduces abortions by preventing unintended pregnancies, for an added impact on
maternal mortality.

(www.k4health.org)

Emergency Contraception: Preventing Unintended Pregnancy

Emergency Contraception - also called Plan B®, EC, or the Morning After Pill - is a concentrated
dose of the same hormones in regular birth control pills that's to be taken as soon as possible or
up to five days (120 hours) after sex without birth control. Simply put, it's a medication to prevent
pregnancy.

An unintended pregnancy is one that was either mistimed or unwanted (51 percent of
pregnancies). If a woman did not want to become pregnant at the time the pregnancy occurred,
but did want to become pregnant at some point in the future, the pregnancy is considered
mistimed (31 percent of pregnancies).

Unintended pregnancy is a core concept that is used to better understand the fertility of
populations and the unmet need for contraception or birth-control methods and family planning.
Unintended pregnancy mainly results from not using contraception, or inconsistent or incorrect use
of effective contraceptive methods.

Emergency Contraception is to be taken after unprotected sex in order to prevent an unplanned or

unintended pregnancy. The woman must also take 1 Norlevo and a second pill from 12 to 24 hours
after the first 72 hours. Beside Norlevo, most combination (estrogens and progesterone) birth
control pills can also be used.

In a recent study in the U.S., the proportion of unintended pregnancies was noted to be highest
among teens younger than age 15 years, at 98 percent. Among teens aged 15 to17 years old,
there was a decline from 89 to 79 percent, from the previous count. There was an increase from
79 to 83 percent among women aged 18 and 19 years, and from 59 to 64 percent among women
aged 20 to 24 years old.
Emergency Contraception (ED) may be used by women who had unprotected sex or didn't use
regular birth control properly (for example, she forgot some pills or her partner didn't use a condom
correctly). EC may also be resorted to after an incident of rape. While the medication still works if
taken as late as five days (120 hours) after sex, it works better if taken sooner.

EC will not hurt or affect the woman's ability to get pregnant in the future. It will not cause birth
defects if the woman is already pregnant. But the medication does not provide any protection
against sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV (the virus that causes AIDS). Only
condoms can help protect against HIV and many other STIs.

Some unpleasant side effects may be experienced after taking EC - like nausea and headaches.
These side effects only last a few hours.

Emergency contraceptive pills that contain only the hormone progestin reduce the risk of
pregnancy by 89 percent. This doesn't mean that 11 percent of women will get pregnant using
these pills, but that this type of emergency contraception prevents 89 percent of the pregnancies
researchers would expect to happen when women have unprotected sex.

Usually, if 100 women have unprotected sex one time during the second or third week of their
monthly menstrual cycle, eight of them will get pregnant. But if those same 100 women use Plan
B®, only one will get pregnant. And if the progestin-only emergency contraceptive pills are taken
within the first 24 hours after unprotected sex, the risk of pregnancy is reduced by up to 95
percent. Again, emergency contraception works better the sooner it is taken.

EC can give women a second chance to prevent pregnancy after sex. They can use EC as many
times in a month as needed, but they must remember that it is not as effective as birth control
that's used before or during sex, like the pill or condoms. It also causes more side effects than
regular birth control methods. That's why emergency contraception shouldn't be used as the only
protection against pregnancy.

There are dozens of kinds of birth control today to choose from. But it is recommended that the
woman and her partner discuss their choice of contraceptive with a qualified family planning
professional.

(Sources: www.google.com.ph, www.ec.princeton.edu)

Which Birth Control Method is the Best Choice for You?

Your age and where you are in your sexual life can be a big factor in your decision. Someone in a
long-term monogamous relationship might prefer different methods than someone in a new
relationship or someone who has multiple sexual partners. Some contraception choices usually
aren't great ideas for teenagers, for example. You might want to have kids later in life, so surgeries
like vasectomy or tubal ligation are probably out.

You might also want to think about doubling-up protection during sex, so you're protected from
pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infections. If you're having sex without a condom, you're
putting yourself at risk of disease. Condoms by themselves can prevent pregnancy too, but aren't
as effective.

Talk to your health-care professional about your choices, and discuss contraception with your
partner before making a decision.

The most effective methods

Hormonal methods are the most effective, and if you are a healthy woman, the Pill, the Patch or
the Vaginal Ring are great choices, since they can be used long-term.
If you want to have fewer periods each year

Certain hormonal contraceptives can result in fewer and lighter periods each year. Contraceptives
containing the Progestin hormone given by injection (Depo-Provera), or in a Intrauterine system
usually results in fewer periods. Also, a woman taking an extended cycle Pill (Seasonale) would
expect to have a period only four times a year.

If contraception fails

If your contraception method has failed, consult your health-care provider without delay and begin
taking emergency contraception. Consider getting a prescription in advance, so that you will have
it just in case you ever need it.

If you smoke

If you are over 35 and smoke, you may need to discontinue using birth control pills, except for the
progestin-only pill (POP). You may wish to consider using an intrauterine contraceptive device
(IUCD). Speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you would like help to quit smoking.

To prevent sexually transmitted infections

The risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is greatly reduced by using dual
protection - using a condom with your choice of birth control. Use a condom if you are in a new
relationship, until you can both get tested for STIs, or if you are not sure your partner is faithful.

If you have just given birth

If you have just given birth, intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), progestin-only
contraceptives (POP) and condoms are good choices because they do not affect the quality or
quantity of your breast milk. If you choose to use a diaphragm or cervical cap, these must be re-
fitted several months following the birth of your baby, so before this point you should choose an
alternative contraceptive method. Remember, there is no grace period after a pregnancy - it is
possible to become pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth!

If you want to wait before having another child

If you wish to space out your family, natural methods like withdrawal or fertility awareness, in
combination with a secondary contraceptive method such as condoms or a contraceptive sponge
may be quite effective. You can also use more effective hormonal methods such as the Pill or the
Patch and be guaranteed a quick return to fertility once you decide to have a child.

If you are approaching menopause

If you are approaching menopause, low-dose oral contraceptives may help you deal with
menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal dryness. It will also provide contraception in
the event that ovulation is still occurring sporadically. (www.sexualityandu.ca)