Photo Credits to: Mark Wilson
On the problem and its background
Currently, the world’s population is over 7.8 billion people, but data show that this number is expected to increase by 2100, reaching a population of over 10 billion. The UN estimates that if this continues, many resources are bound to be exhausted. However, if certain factors are to be considered such as cases where women’s self-determination and fertility fall more than what is expected, the population of 7.8 billion people would possibly show a decline.
Unfortunately, such a case cannot be observed in the current times due to the world’s population still growing steadily. Despite the existence of factors like contraceptives that would help control the growing population, these things are still not properly distributed to the public.
In many cases, like in the Philippines, rural areas are less likely to be open to contraceptives due to factors like culture, pressure from familial relations, and less availability of contraceptives. Furthermore, many places in the world, especially rural areas with higher rates of poverty, also suffer from a lack of funding from the government in creating programs and policies that would help give women knowledge about pregnancy, family planning, and birth control methods. Different governments also do not provide enough support in giving out free and effective contraceptives for when people would like to engage in physical intimacy with their partners.
A lot of governments from all over the world lack these initiatives to mitigate the ever-growing population that may contribute to many consequences in many aspects of an individual’s life, and more specifically in the life of both the mother and the children.
On the consequences of poor access to contraception to population and reproductive health
Poor access to contraception leads to an increase in population and harm to reproductive health. According to Institute for Women’s Policy Research, education regarding contraceptives affects women’s access to contraceptives, women with higher education tend to have higher rates of utilizing contraception.
High fertility rates are common in countries with lesser access to contraceptives. Based on the study of DaVanzo et al. (n.d.), their survey showed that among women in developing countries, 10% – 40% of them want to limit childbearing, however, they are not using contraceptives due to poverty or no knowledge of contraceptives.
Reproductive health is an important aspect to a woman because it gives them the ability to bear a child and if it becomes affected it can cause permanent damage to the human body, thus, it can be harmed when there is a misuse of contraceptives, especially to minors. Poor access to contraception leads to a more unsafe abortion that can cause permanent damage or harm to women’s bodies, which can also lead to death. According to Nagai et al. (2019), there were 610, 000 unsafe abortions and 1 in 4 pregnancies are unintended in the Philippines every year. There are also factors that affect the utilization of contraceptives such as no education in regards to contraceptives because of the poor access to it, which causes misconceptions that it can lead to other reproductive system diseases, making it more dangerous to women.
Higher education regarding contraceptives can help in making women safer and help the problem of overpopulation because it will guide families or everybody that needs to have knowledge about contraceptives, how, when, and why they are using them.
Setting an Advocacy: Operation Options, Options, Options!
According to statistics, 12 million girls around the world are married before reaching 18, over 2 million adolescents are living with HIV, and in poor countries, the leading cause of death among girls aged 15 to 19 is childbirth complications (PathFinder.org, 2022).
These problems arise from the youth having a lack of knowledge about contraception or having poor access to contraception options. One of the things our advocacy covers is the campaign to offer proper sex education to adolescents and young adults so that they can better understand the options that they have. Giving this education to the youth does not mean encouraging them to have sex at an early age, as some people opposing sex education would argue. It is rather a way to ensure that these young people would acquire enough knowledge to responsibly make decisions when it comes to the subject matter. Schools should be encouraged to incorporate this into their lessons. Likewise, the group may be able to offer discussions or forums from their perspectives as student biologists regarding different methods of contraception, especially among the youth from rural areas.
Other than the youth, in general, people from rural areas have poor access to contraceptive options. According to Ross (2021), the use of contraception is lower in rural areas compared to urban areas. This is a multifactorial problem: sometimes it can be because of cultural practices, religious beliefs, or poor health facilities. Seeking to improve this, starting from local communities, the group would organize outreach activities in coordination with local authorities to reach rural areas, especially far-flung areas in order to provide contraceptive education among citizens in these areas. The seminars would ideally cover information on the different options these citizens can choose and in coordination with local authorities, their general access to these options should also be advocated for.
There must also be a focus on advocating for improved access of men and women from rural areas to long-term contraceptive options. The same study by Ross (2021) noted that long-term contraceptive methods, such as intrauterine devices, sterilization, and implants are observed in urban areas but less in rural areas. The improvement of access to such options could improve the problems with the population in rural areas.
Options Women Have
While contraception is not limited to women alone, women have been the main subject of the matter throughout history. Such a narrow focus on contraception ignores the fact that it is a shared responsibility between partners that requires both parties to take an active role in making informed decisions about their sexual health. With that, the many birth control methods created for women can be categorized into reversible and permanent methods of birth control.
Reversible methods include the use of intrauterine devices (IUD) wherein a small T-shaped device is placed in the uterus to prevent pregnancy and hormonal methods such as implants, injections, pills, patches, and vaginal rings which release hormones like estrogen and progestin into the body to prevent egg cells from fully developing. Other reversible contraceptives are barrier methods like the use of diaphragms or cervical caps, spermicides, and female condoms which all aim to either block or kill sperm cells.
There are also fertility awareness or calendar methods wherein women have to note when their monthly fertility pattern and the use of emergency contraceptive pills on occasions where no birth control was used during sexual intercourse or if the birth control method used has failed. Lastly, the permanent method of birth control for women is called tubal ligation wherein a woman’s fallopian tubes are tied or closed to ensure that sperm cells cannot meet and fertilize an egg cell. These different methods should be introduced to women, especially those from rural areas, so that they may understand which option is best suited for them.
Options Men Have
There are several contraceptive methods intended for men. In regards to reproductive health, and issues, women are often placed in a position to bear the burden of responsibility (pills, ovulation windows, controversies of abortion). However, this should not be the case, and men should take a portion of that responsibility. Listed below are some methods of contraception for men.
First, the lowest barrier to entry is the use of condoms. Following the proper guidelines on how to use it, and having the proper size and kind ensures that it works 98% of the time (typically it is rated at 85%). Additionally, condoms protect you from STDs which is not true for other methods. Note that condoms have expiration dates, and possible allergens in the label box so always be sure to check on the labeling.
Second, this substance is generally used as additional protection, which is spermicide. A substance that may come in the form of a foam, jelly tablet, cream, or part of a condom that when used will kill sperm. Guidelines on its usage vary from form to form, but spermicide tends to work around 79% of the time.
The third method is a form of permanent contraception, which is a vasectomy, known as "male sterilization." It is the most effective birth control for men which works around 99% percent of the time. In layman's terms, the process involves cutting and sealing the tubes to your testicles where the sperm would pass. It generally takes about 3 months for your semen to be free of sperm.
Lastly, there is the form of "withdrawal" or pulling out which is not recommended. It only has a success rate of 77%, it does not protect you from STDs. Although it is a method that does not cost you anything, it is still worth using condoms or other more effective forms of contraception.
Note that these contraceptive methods can be combined (i.e. using condoms and spermicide, pulling out even with condoms, or using condoms even if you have a vasectomy) either to increase your chances of avoiding unwanted pregnancy or to protect yourself from STDs.
In conclusion...
Many countries in the world still view contraception from a negative lens, especially because of the influence of religion. The situation in the Philippines is one concrete example of this. While many argue that contraception prevents possible life, it must be understood that bringing a child into the world while the parents or guardians are not ready or incapable of raising the child is just as worse.
For a summary of this blog post and our advocacy for this week, check out the infographic below:
Bibliography:
Bernstein, A., & Jones, K. (2019). The Economic Effects of Contraceptive Access: A Review of the Evidence - IWPR. Institute for Women's Policy Research. Retrieved from https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/reproductive-health/the-economic-effects-of-contraceptive-access-a-review-of-the-evidence/
Bish, J. J. (2020). Overpopulation: Cause and Effect. Population Media Center. Retrieved from https://www.populationmedia.org/blog/overpopulation-cause-and-effect
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Contraception. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm
Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2015/01/access-to-contraception
DaVanzo, J., Adamson, D. M., & Bulatao, R. A. (n.d.). Family Planning in Developing Countries: An Unfinished Success Story. RAND Corporation. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/issue_papers/IP176.html
Facts on Barriers to Contraceptive Use In the Philippines. (2010). Retrieved from https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/FB-contraceptives-philippines.pdf
MedicalNewsToday. (n.d.). What are birth control options for men? Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/birth-control-for-men
Nagai, M., Ballizzi, S., Murray, J., Kitong, J., Cabral, E. I., & Sobel, H. L. (2019). Opportunities lost: Barriers to increasing the use of effective contraception in the Philippines. PLOS. Retrieved from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218 187
Packtor, C. (2018). Contraception Options Limited in Rural and Suburban Areas. Public Health Post. Retrieved from https://www.publichealthpost.org/databyte/contraception-limited -rural-suburban-areas/
Pathfinder International. (2022). Adolescents and Youth. Retrieved from https://www.pathfinder.org/focus-areas/adolescents-youth/
Ross, J. A. (2021). Contraceptive Use, Access to Methods, and Program Efforts in Urban Areas. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 2. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2021.636581
WebMD. (n.d.). Male Birth Control Options. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/sex/birth-control/male-contraceptives
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