Improving Access to Modern Contraceptive

When we talk about contraceptives here in our country, mostly, people will have a bad
reaction towards it. Some may feel disgusted, awkward, and funny. There are a few that find the
topic interesting and relevant to discuss among peers and family. Since the earliest times, both
men and women have adopted birth control methods. According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), as of 2019, there were 21 million pregnancies among teenagers, about half
of which were unintended, most of them from poor and middle income areas. Some of the
incidents in the low and moderate income nations are attributable to cultural factors such as
having females get married and carry children at a very early age. Utilizing contraceptives is
important for avoiding unintended pregnancies, dangerous abortions, and abortion-related
problems that put adolescents at risk for health issues and possibly even death. Contraceptives
can be a form of different devices, sexual acts, substances, medications, or surgical treatments.
There are several varieties. Some varieties can also aid in the prevention of sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs). Due to their efficacy in reducing the risks teens face from their modern sexual
lifestyle, contraceptives should be freely available to them.

Sex education consists of excellent teaching and understanding on a wide range of topics
connected to sex and sexuality. Adolescents receive the information and abilities they need for
longterm sexual health through sex education. It examines values and beliefs around those topics
and aids in the development of skills necessary for navigating relationships with oneself, others,
and the community as well as managing one's own sexual health. It assists adolescents in
acquiring the knowledge and abilities necessary to decide on sex and romantic relationships in
the best interests of themselves. They acquire knowledge on how to love themselves
unconditionally, develop healthy relationships, critically think about the society, make rational
sex decisions, and be a great partner. Contrary to that, many individuals disregard sex education
as a serious issue and view it as a recreational activity. Some often avoid paying close attention
to this issue because they perceive it as embarrassing or foolish. It could be challenging for
teachers to teach this topic. Other than that, not everyone sees sex education relevant. To some, it
is against their religious beliefs. What is regarded as acceptable and inappropriate behavior in
terms of sexuality is strictly regulated by several religions. Many institutions choose to leave this
delicate issue unaddressed since it is difficult to dispute with people when they bring their faith
to the forefront. Therefore, teaching sex-related topics in a secular context is a violation of
numerous religious precepts. All teenagers should learn and understand it so they have the
knowledge they need to make wise and healthy choices in life.
 Long before they start having sexual activity, adolescents need to learn about
contraception. They must be aware of the advantages and drawbacks of utilizing specific birth
control techniques, as well as how to get them. There are several types of contraceptives they
will be able to choose from. The most common are condoms, contraceptive implants, and birth
control pills. The best defense against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended
pregnancy is the use of condoms. They are a barrier contraceptive made of latex rubber.
According to an article from Planned Parenthood website, condoms are only about 85%
effective, in other words, 15 out of 100 people who are sexually active and uses condom will
likely to get pregnant. Aside from it being effective against STDs and avoiding getting pregnant,
it is also cheaper and convenient to many. You can purchase them from any pharmacy,
convenience store and even at your local community health centers. On the other hand, they are
not a hundred percent effective and some may experience latex allergies. Condoms can set off
latex allergies, which can result in skin rashes, hives, and runny nose, as well as, in more severe
cases, constricted airways and low blood pressure. Although, there are other alternatives for latex
condoms such as polyurethane or lambskin condom.

A small, thin rod approximately the size of a matchstick serves as the birth control
implant. To prevent you from becoming pregnant, a doctor slips it underneath the skin of your
upper arm and distributes the progestin hormone. While on the other hand, birth control pills are
tablets you ingest to prevent from getting pregnant and have a success rate of 91% when properly
intake. Both are a great choice but the downside of birth control pills is that when you tend to
forget to take it, there is a chance of you getting pregnant and also, these pills have risks that go
with it like nausea, breast tenderness, headaches and so much more. But in actual situations, the
implant is typically a more reliable method of birth control than the pill. Once the implant is in
your arm, it is hard to forget to take a pill, take it late, or commit other frequent birth control
errors.

Everyone should have access to birth controls. In the Philippines, birth control has long
been accessible to middle-class and privileged people, but it remains prohibitively expensive for
the less fortunate. Filipino lawmakers have a crucial chance with the Reproductive Health Bill to
terminate the terrible war on women and bring our country back in line with its legal human
rights responsibilities. I stand with contraceptives being accessible to everyone, especially to the
adolescents who are sexually active in order to avoid unintended pregnancy until they are
physically and mentally ready to have one and also to avoid health related risks. On the other
hand, I think that the widespread use of condoms will normalize sexual activity among young
adolescents. This may be a key to sexual liberation without restraint and encourage them to
engage in it through peer pressure. More women will have sex at earlier ages as a result of the
increased desire to partake in safe sexual behavior, perhaps increasing their mistreatment.
 Young people have every right to enjoy a healthy life. Adolescents should get birth
contraceptives or have access to it. As they are concerned with safeguarding themselves only by
using birth control, and with the appropriate, thorough sex education that schools should offer,
they may become as informed as possible about the risks of unsupervised sex and the alternative
birth control techniques. Every pregnancy should be planned, meaning that it should have been a
conscious decision to get pregnant at the moment of creation. If you are not ready for this then
avoid engaging to sexual activities, if not, then atleast use contraceptives. Some people believe
that using birth control would make teenagers more aggressive. One must comprehend the
various demands of various teenage populations as well as the difficulties they encounter when
making and carrying out reproductive decisions in order to move forward. Let us break down
these barriers and be open for change.

References:

Adolescent pregnancy. (2022, September 15). Retrieved October 5, 2022, from

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy

Learn the Benefits, Risks, and Side Effects of the Birth Control Pill. (2021, December 21).
Verywell Health. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-pill-pros-vs-cons-906927

NCBI - WWW Error Blocked Diagnostic. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2022, from
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10687021/

The Pros & Cons of Condoms. (2020, July 10). Surecheck. Retrieved October 5, 2022, from
https://surecheck.info/the-pros-cons-of-condoms/

What Is the Effectiveness of Condoms? (n.d.). Planned Parenthood. Retrieved October 5, 2022,
from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom/how-effective-are-condoms

Zoppi, L. (2020, June 8). What to know about the birth control implant. Retrieved October 5,
2022, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/birth-control-implants