The proposed law defines reproductive health as “the state
of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence
of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and
to its functions and processes”.
The
proponents of the bill cite the following grounds for its enactment into law:
- Protect the health & lives of mothers;
- Save babies;
- Respond to the majority who want smaller families;
- Promote equity for poor families;
- Prevent induced abortions;
- Support and deploy more public midwives, nurses and doctors;
- Guarantee funding for & equal access to health facilities;
- Give accurate & positive sexuality education to young people;
- Reduce cancer deaths, and
- Save money that can be used for even more social spending.
Those who
oppose the bill, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) in
particular, argue that:
- It does not protect the health of the sacred human life that is being formed or born. The very name “contraceptive” already reveals the anti-life nature of the means that the RH bill promotes;
- Contraceptives are hazardous to a woman’s health;
- Many scientific analysts themselves wonder why prevalent contraceptive use sometimes raises the abortion rate;
- Contraceptives provide a false sense of security that takes away the inhibition to sexual activity;
- Condoms provide a false security that strongly entices individuals towards increased sexual activity, increasing likewise the incidence of HIV/AIDS;
- “Safe sex” to prevent HIV /AIDS is false propaganda;
- Conscience must certainly be enlightened and guided by religious and moral teachings provided by various religious and cultural traditions regarding the fundamental dignity and worth of human life;
- The causes of our poverty are: flawed philosophies of development, misguided economic policies, greed, corruption, social inequities, lack of access to education, poor economic and social services, poor infrastructures, etc.;
- Use of public funds for contraceptives and sterilization is objectionable, and
- Compulsory sex education that would effectively let parents abdicate their primary role of educating their own children, especially in an area of life – sexuality – which is a sacred gift of God is condemnable.
My
personal stance regarding this issue is that the State has the responsibility
to provide reproductive health services to the citizens, particularly the poor
women. However, the State must not commit error by allowing its instrumentalities,
particularly the government, to use products and techniques that will lead to a
human act that endangers, per se, any
human life. Abortifacients (substances that induce abortion) should not be
allowed as a State policy.
Stakeholders
must therefore come up with a consensus on the socially and morally acceptable
birth control techniques and under what conditions should they be allowed.
Those who advocate any type of contraceptives must do so within an atmosphere
of free market of ideas. They may sell, give, or distribute any contraceptives,
but they must ensure that the intended beneficiaries understand the nature and
effects of such contraceptives.
On
the issue of mandatory sex education, there must be an acceptable formula to
make this possible. The State, through the government, should not dictate how
this should be done at the classroom level. Parents, teachers, school
administrators, and the children should have a say how to best handle this
matter.
The
health status of families, especially mothers and children, are horrible
enough. We cannot solve these problems solely and primarily by birth control.
We have to change the conditions that brought about the high maternal mortalities
and infant deaths, among others. My humble suggestions on how these should be
done include the following:
- Establish institutions to take good care of unwanted children by providing reproductive services to women who have unwanted pregnancies;
- Prescribe and maintain minimum standards for communities, especially residential areas, to discourage unplanned and informal settlements;
- Provide effective information, education and communication programs to change the behaviors of the target audience (spacing birth, breast feeding, etc.);
- Set up support mechanism for children who are neither sent to school nor treated well, and provide penalty regulatory approaches for irresponsible parents, and
- Design and implement interventions that will enhance the standard of living of the poor families.
