What Is Contraception

DEBATE ON CONTRACEPTION
POSITION PAPER
I. What is Contraception?
Contraception is the act of preventing pregnancy. This can be a device,
a medication, a procedure, or a behavior. Contraception allows a woman
control of her reproductive health and affords the woman the ability to be an
active participant in her family planning. There are many different types. Some
are reversable, while others are permanent. Some types can also help
prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
II. Why is contraception important?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The prevention of
unintended pregnancies helps to lower maternal ill-health and the number of
pregnancy-related deaths. Delaying pregnancies in young girls who are at
increased risk of health problems from early childbearing, and preventing
pregnancies among older women who also face increased risks, are important
health benefits of family planning. By reducing rates of unintended
pregnancies, contraception also reduces the need for unsafe abortion and
reduces HIV transmissions from mothers to newborns. This can also benefit the
education of girls and create opportunities for women to participate more fully
in society, including paid employment.
Family planning programs have been developed and supported to provide people
with a means to achieve the number of children they desire and to reduce unwanted
pregnancy, as a means of improving the health of women and children, and to
contribute to slower population growth and more rapid economic development.
POSITION PAPER
It was concluded by the Working Group on the Health Consequences of

Contraceptive Use and Controlled Fertility that family planning programs
contribute to the improvement of the health of women and children in developing
countries by providing safe and effective means for women to reduce the number
of births and high-risk pregnancies they have.
REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND MATERNAL

HEALTH
Research conducted in developing countries demonstrates that maternal
age and parity are associated with maternal health. In particular, maternal mortality
may be reduced by:
• Reducing the total number of pregnancies each woman has;
• Reducing the number of high-parity births;
• Reducing the number of births to very young and older women;
• Reducing the use of abortion to terminate unwanted pregnancies in countries in
which safe abortion is unavailable; and
• Reducing the number of pregnancies to women with major health problems.
CONTRACEPTIVE RISKS AND BENEFITS

Modern contraceptives are an important means through which women
in developing countries control their fertility. Declining fertility will improve the
health of women in a society by reducing the number of pregnancies and births and
therefore the exposure to risk. On the basis of the review on the scientific evidence
concerning the risks and benefits of contraception, it was concluded that the risks
POSITION PAPER
associated with the use of currently available modern contraceptive methods are
considerably lower than the risks associated with pregnancy, labor and delivery,
particularly in developing countries. Moreover, research has increasingly
demonstrated the direct health benefits of contraceptive use. Although these results
are based largely on studies conducted in the developed world.
TYPES OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS

There are many different types of contraception, with varying rates of
effectiveness depending on correct usage. Some methods may be obtained over the
counter, others may require medical advice or even surgical intervention.
Healthcare providers play an important role in helping people find and use a
method that is both effective and acceptable. Methods include:
Hormonal contraceptive methods
Usually oral pills or implants, patches or vaginal rings. They release small amounts
of one or more hormones which prevent ovulation.
Intrauterine devices (IUDs)
Devices inserted into the uterus where they release either a copper component or a
small amount of a hormone (Levnorgesterol) to prevent the sperm from reaching
the egg.
TYPES OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS

Emergency contraception
It is possible to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if contraception has

failed, either with a pill or with an IUD. There is a five-day window for this.
Condoms
POSITION PAPER
Male condoms sheath a penis. Female condoms fit loosely inside a vagina. Both
form a barrier that prevent sperm and egg from meeting. Sterilization Considered
a permanent method that blocks sperm in men and eggs in women. Voluntary and
informed choice is essential.
Lactational amenorrhea method
A temporary method of contraception for new mothers whose monthly bleeding

has not returned. During this period, eggs are not released, so pregnancy cannot
occur.
SIGNIFICANCE
Effective contraception provides social and health benefits to mothers and their
children by reducing unintended pregnancies and abortions and facilitating family
planning. Effective contraception indirectly helps in improving the overall health
status of infants and children.
In addition to preventing pregnancy, the correct and consistent use of male

condoms (a barrier method) reduces the risk of HIV and other STDs including
infections like chlamydia, gonococcus, and trichomoniasis. Although hormonal
contraceptives and IUDs are highly effective at preventing pregnancy, they do not
protect against STDs, including HIV.
By reducing unintended pregnancies and abortions, and facilitating family

planning/spacing of births, effective contraception provides both health and social
POSITION PAPER
benefits to mothers and their children. According to worldwide estimates, some

600,000 women die each year of pregnancy-related causes, and 75,000 die
following unsafe abortions. At least 200,000 of these maternal deaths are
attributable to the failure or lack of contraceptive services. In addition to
preventing mortality, effective contraception improves maternal health. Data from
the well-controlled Intergenerational Panel Study of Mothers and Children, a 31-
year longitudinal survey of 1113 mother-child pairs, indicate that unwanted births
can lead to nonpsychotic major depression (postpartum depression), feelings of
powerlessness, increased time pressures, and a reduction in overall physical
health. Finally, effective contraception improves the social and economic role of
women and enables them to participate in society fully.
SIGNIFICANCE
Infants and children also derive benefits from effective contraception. As modern
contraceptive methods have become more widely available throughout the world,
infant mortality has decreased from approximately 150 deaths per 1000 live births
in the 1950s to 80 deaths per 1000 live births in the 1990s. In developing countries,
53% of married women plan family size, and 90% of them use modern birth
control methods such as female sterilization, oral contraceptives (OCs), and
intrauterine devices (IUDs).
According to Population Action International, infant mortality in developing

countries could be decreased by one-third by increasing the spacing between births
to 2–4 years. The health status of infants and children is also improved as a result
of effective contraception. In the 31-year mother-child survey, unwanted children
had more health problems, such as lower birth weight and higher mortality, than
those who had been wanted. Mothers who had an unwanted birth also had a poorer
quality relationship with all their children, tending to spank them more and spend
less leisure time with them. In addition, evidence indicates that children from large
POSITION PAPER
families generally receive less education.
CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Although year-to-year variations are not significant, the CPR has exhibited a
generally increasing trend (Figure 1). In the late 1960s and early 1970s, fewer than
two in 10 married women used any form of contraception. The contraceptive
prevalence rate rose during the late 1970s. By 1993, two in five women were
practicing contraception. Since the mid-1990s however, a fairly steady figure of 45
to 50 percent of married women of reproductive age have been reported using
some form of family planning in successive Demographic and Health Surveys and
Family Planning Surveys.
Fluctuations in the CPR can be attributed to the erratic trend of the prevalence rate
of traditional methods. In contrast, the prevalence rate of modern methods had
generally increased. In 2011, the prevalence rate for modern methods was 13 times
the estimate for 1968, which was 2.9 percent.
POSITION PAPER
THE USE OF TRADITIONAL CONTRACEPTIVE

METHODS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Traditional contraceptive methods include periodic abstinence or rhythm,

withdrawal, and folkloric methods. Periodic abstinence or the calendar method
(rhythm) has been widely used among Filipino couples. Earlier studies on family
planning behavior have noted that even without any effort from the government to
promote periodic abstinence as part of the family planning program, it was a
popular method among Filipino couples (Laing 1987). It was often practiced in
combination with withdrawal and with modern methods such as condom or foam.
In a study on contraceptive use in 1978, more than a quarter of Filipino couples
were practicing one form or another of this method (Verzosa et al. 1984).
Alongside periodic abstinence, there was also high reliance on withdrawal as a
family planning method. This stems from the fact that withdrawal does not entail
cost and can be used spontaneously by couples. Withdrawal as a method also
upholds the belief of men’s power in reproductive decision-making (Verzosa et al.
1984)
PROBLEM IN THE PHILIPPINES REGARDING

POSITION PAPER
THE CONTRACEPTION
More recent studies have looked into the reasons why women or couples
shy away from more effective modern methods of contraception (e.g., Abejo et al.
2006; Williamson et al. 2009; PSA and ICF International 2014; Cruz, Marquez,
and Kabamalan 2016). The most common reasons are fear of their side effects,
lack of knowledge on different methods, and inconvenience of use, in contrast to
the relative ease in adopting traditional contraceptive methods. A study of urban
poor women in Manila found that traditional contraceptive methods, particularly
withdrawal, are preferred because of their absence of side effects, safety,
agreeability with partner, and ease of use (Cruz, Marquez, and Kabamalan 2016).
Similarly, in a study of the use of periodic abstinence among Beti women in
Cameroon, Johnson-Hanks (2002) found that women preferred the method because
of the absence of negative side effects as well as a perception that periodic
abstinence is an indicator of one’s self-discipline.
A review of qualitative studies on the nonuse of modern contraceptive methods

among young women in developing countries pointed to factors such as lack of
knowledge and poor access to services, a common perception that modern family
planning methods and services are only for married women, as well as the negative
social norms around premarital sexual activity. The difficulties that young women
often encounter in accessing modern contraceptive methods lead many to use
traditional methods instead (Williamson et al. 2009). Such observations are
pertinent to the Philippines, where social norms discourage sexual activity outside
of marriage.
In addition, reproductive health services are provided mainly to married

women/couples. The RPRH Law requires parental consent for women below age
18 to access family planning services from public health facilities. Thus, it is not
surprising to find that a larger proportion of sexually active unmarried women than
currently married women are using traditional contraceptive methods (PSA and
ICF International 2014).
POSITION PAPER
References
1. https://www.glowm.com/section-view/heading/The%20Importance%20of%20Contraception/item/373?
fbclid=IwAR3aNVpESd9_I0U_F7ttBTzHJULBcMpiCEO-3ctBN6P2Jo-3RPGg8x95xXY
2. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception?
fbclid=IwAR1Wvoe-HNm8jLFuz8vr9tiJOgzyu6FfmfMrtpCDM9CMxU3IA5tubUf0Zgg
3. https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/family-health-survey/node/42096?
fbclid=IwAR0xcvYIynh9BPELrW3lKHITjKFK0o0HuAoNGbiJ9ZeRmx4HJy-q8LK55OU
POSITION PAPER
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK536949/#:~:text=Contraception%20is%20the
%20act%20of,participant%20in%20her%20family%20planning.
5. https://dhsprogram.com/publications/publication-wp130-working-papers.cfm
6. https://www.who.int/health-topics/contraception?
fbclid=IwAR1C8wD9c5slN76fQFvTAhWv_dD82HOLvMEC58xbDNS2WgBPpiTOWclhiD4#t
ab=tab_1

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DEBATE ON CONTRACEPTION

II. Why is contraception important?

It was concluded by the Working Group on the Health Consequences of

REPRODUCTIVE PATTERNS AND MATERNAL

CONTRACEPTIVE RISKS AND BENEFITS

TYPES OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS

Hormonal contraceptive methods

Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

TYPES OF CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS

It is possible to prevent pregnancy after unprotected sex or if contraception has

Lactational amenorrhea method

A temporary method of contraception for new mothers whose monthly bleeding

In addition to preventing pregnancy, the correct and consistent use of male

By reducing unintended pregnancies and abortions, and facilitating family

benefits to mothers and their children. According to worldwide estimates, some

According to Population Action International, infant mortality in developing

families generally receive less education.

CONTRACEPTIVE USE IN THE PHILIPPINES

THE USE OF TRADITIONAL CONTRACEPTIVE

Traditional contraceptive methods include periodic abstinence or rhythm,

PROBLEM IN THE PHILIPPINES REGARDING

A review of qualitative studies on the nonuse of modern contraceptive methods

In addition, reproductive health services are provided mainly to married

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