Topic: With the rising number of teenage pregnancies in the Philippines, do you think

it’s time for abortion to be legalized?

POSITION PAPER ON ABPORTION NOT BE LEGALIZED IN THE PHILIPPINES

Introduction

Teenage pregnancy is already a problem in the Philippines. Although unintended

pregnancies do not generally correlate to unwanted pregnancies, they can lead to a
wide range of maternal and child health risks, such as malnutrition, sickness, and even
death. Unintended pregnancies will further lead to high fertility cycles and lower
prospects for education and jobs and poverty, problems that can span generations.

It did, though, make the situation worse because of the pandemic. There was the
implementation of lockdown and community quarantine. With this, the prevalence of
underage pregnancy has increased exponentially. According to Senator Risa
Hontiveros in a radio interview, the University of the Philippines Population Institute
study predicts a baby boom in 2021, with estimated 751,000 additional unplanned births
the circumstances produced by the pandemic. Besides, unintended pregnancies remain
a significant public health issue. And globally, 74 million women living in low and middle-
income countries have unintended pregnancies annually. This abortion leads to 25
million unsafe abortions and 47 000 maternal deaths every year, explained by the World
Health Organization (WHO) in 2019 (Keenan, 2019).

This problem has also brought awareness to the Population Commission and
Development. The Senator proposed comprehensive sexuality education. It refers to the
process of acquiring complete, accurate, relevant, and age-appropriate information and
skills on all matters relating to the reproductive system, its functions, and procedures,
and human sexuality and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity,
interpersonal relationship, affection, intimacy, and gender roles. Comprehensive
sexuality education has the purpose of developing the skills of young people. It is for
them to make informed decisions such as the capacity to distinguish between facts and
myths on sex and sexuality, and critically evaluate and discuss the moral, religious,
social, and cultural dimensions of related sensitive issues. Such as contraception and
abortion, and decide to prevent risky behavior that can undermine the realization of their
aspirations and potentials.

Teenage pregnancy is a problem where the government must immediately seek

a solution and consider a social emergency today. Besides, teenage mothers should be
knowledgeable enough to know the pros and cons of their pregnancy to prevent
abortion. Abortion happens when a pregnancy ends early, without the fetus's natural
growth, before it can survive inside the uterus. And this abortion is a serious matter that
should not be legalized in the Philippines because it is considered a moral evil by the
Catholic Church, against human rights, and a threat to mother's health.

Considering abortion as moral evil is included in the reasons why abortion should
be illegal in the Philippines. When the Philippines recognized Christianity, Roman
Catholicism is the religion that tops many faiths existing. The Church has claimed the
moral evil of any procured abortion since the first century. This teaching has not
changed and appears to be immutable. Direct abortion meant either as an end or as a
means is strongly contrary to religious law. The Lord of life has given men the noble
duty of saving a life, and men must carry it out in a way worthy of themselves. Such
abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes (Cleveland, 2019).

Along with this, it states on the Vatican website Catechism of the Catholic Church
(n.d.) that the Church attaches the canonical penalty of ex-communication to this crime
against human life. "A person who procures a completed abortion incurs ex-
communication "by the very commission of the offense." The Church does not thereby
intend to restrict the scope of mercy.

Another reason not to legalized abortion is because it is against human rights. A

country must respect, protect, and fulfill human rights, including sexual and reproductive
health and autonomy. If legal abortion is unreasonably restricted, many human rights
may be at risk. It includes the right to life. According to the UN Declaration of Human
Rights on article three, clearly states, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security
of person." Abortion is a direct violation of every human's right to life because it deprives
pre-born humans of their very lives (Weidemer, 2018). It must recognize the sanctity of
family life and protect and strengthen the family as an essential autonomous social
institution. It shall equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from
conception. The Preamble of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) also
stands to that "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special
safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after
birth." The statement means if the child is not born yet, a child has the right to be taken
and live.

Apart from this, it is a threat to a mother’s health. Poor women, rural women, and
young women are particularly likely to experience unintended pregnancy and seek an
abortion under unsafe conditions. Because of the risks of unsafe abortion, many women
need post-abortion care. Still, they face barriers in obtaining such care, including the
stigma around abortion and the high cost of medical care.

There are many processes of doing an abortion. There could be abortion done
medically and traditionally. Either way is dangerous to the life and health of a mother.
Medical abortion is a procedure that uses medication to end a pregnancy. According to
Mayo Clinic, it explains medical abortion that does not require surgery or anesthesia
and can be started either in a medical office or at home with follow-up visits to a doctor.
It is safer and most effective during the first trimester of pregnancy. According to the
Department of Health of Louisiana, an abortion done medically may have both positive
and negative feelings, even at the same time. One woman may feel relief, both that the
procedure is over and that she is no longer pregnant. Another woman may feel sad that
she was in a position where all of her choices were hard ones. She may feel sad about
ending the pregnancy. For a while after the abortion she may feel a sense of emptiness
or guilt, wondering whether her decision was right.

For traditional abortion, it could be done by a traditional midwife for a hilot. This
word is a dialect which means traditional massage. It involves pounding the lower
abdomen to trigger a miscarriage (Crimmins, 2007). It is a massage technique that
uses to help women abort their pregnancies. Backstreet abortions performed by healers
or so-called traditional midwives have become more common and used up to now. This
abortion causes severe pain, and the mother could bleed for a week. It used most likely
by women who do not have enough money to seek help in hospitals.
Conclusion

Many Filipino women experience unwanted pregnancies, despite advancements

in reproductive health legislation, and since abortion is highly stigmatized in many as
countries as well as Philippines, many pursue abortions subject to unsafe procedures.
There are different reasons why mothers’ do abortion. However, the single most
common reason women cite for wanting an abortion is because they cannot afford to
raise a child. Raising a child could cause a bigger problem for a mother, society and
government. That is why, abortion should not be legalized because it is immoral,
against the right to live, and could cause danger to mothers.

Abortion is a violation of the human right to life. Instead of killing the young ones-
the future of the country, the ones who will take care of oldies when they cannot sustain
anymore, the people should be doing everything in their power to ensure the child’s
survival in the world. If those people do not start realizing the value of life in its early
stages, then soon, there will be no value in life at all, and there will be no reason why
mother and a child have the right to life.

Also, the natural family planning method is a good option, not only a good one
but also an effective one to prevent abortion. There is a need for high-quality family
planning services that offer a range of potential benefits that encompass improved
maternal and child health and social and economic development, education, and
women’s empowerment. This statement is, according to Doctor Mari Nagai, a former
Medical Officer for Reproductive and Maternal Health at the World Health
Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office (2019).

Women also should have access to high-quality, affordable sexual and

reproductive health services and information. Including a full range of contraceptive
methods can play a vital role in building a healthier future for women and girls. It also
contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals' attainment as for Dr. Ian Askew,
Director of the Department of Reproductive Health and Research at World Health
Organization (Keenan, 2019).

Giving contraceptives could also help lessen abortion and ensure more people
benefit from this modern contraception. More women would be able to profit from
effective contraceptive services and the critical component of such services. They will
first identify women who may have concerns about their method of contraception and
wish to switch modes. Secondly, to provide high-quality counseling, free of stigma,
discrimination, or coercion to those women to ensure that their reproductive intentions
are respected and their sexual health protected. It is also essential to improve doctors,
nurses, and midwives' skills through training and professional development so that they
can provide effective family-centered counseling to all women who need it.
References:

Abortion & Pregnancy Risks | Department of Health | State of Louisiana. (n.d.).

Https://Ldh.La.Gov/Index.Cfm/Page/915. Retrieved January 1, 2021, from
https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/915

Catechism of the Catholic Church. (n.d.). Catholic Culture.

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/catechism/cat_view.cfm?
recnum=6077

Cleveland, C. (2019, March 26). “Misericordia et Misera” Section 12 (2016) by Pope

Francis of the Catholic Church | The Embryo Project Encyclopedia. Retrieved
from https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/misericordia-et-misera-section-12-2016-
pope-francis-catholic-church

Crimmins, C. (2007, September 5). Abortion in the Philippines: a national secret. U.S.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-abortion-
idUSMAN29804620070905

Keenan, L. (2019, October 25). High rates of unintended pregnancies linked to gaps in
family planning services: New WHO study. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news/item/25-10-2019-high-rates-of-unintended-
pregnancies-linked-to-gaps-in-family-planning-services-new-who-study

Medical abortion - Mayo Clinic. (2020, May 14). Retrieved from

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/medical-abortion/about/pac-
20394687#:%7E:text=Medical%20abortion%20is%20a%20procedure,the%20first
%20trimester%20of%20pregnancy.

Weidemer, A. (2018). Abortion: The Undercover Human Rights Violation- An Essay.

Lifecollective.Io. Retrieved from https://lifecollective.io/pei/articles/abortion-the-
undercover-human-rights-violation-essay