Accents
Feeding, clothing, and sheltering (2)
With the ecosystems getting more and more fragile, society must confront the grave problem of feeding, clothing, and sheltering the teeming masses and the legions yet to come. One potent solution I posed in my previous column is the aggressive promotion of birth control.
A report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF) states that the Philippine population of 85 million may double in the next 25 to 29 years unless the government aggressively supports the use of artificial birth control. UNPF representative to the Philippines Zahidul Huque said the Philippine population is growing by two million a year at an annual growth rate of 2.36 percent. (The growth rate results by subtracting from the birth rate the country's death rate and rate of migration.) Huque said the country's population growth rate is the highest in the region, adding that the Philippines may fail to realize its poverty reduction targets if it continues to oppose the use of contraceptives. '[T]he government has yet to allocate resources for modern artificial contraception in a situation where the natural method of birth control is not effective.' Popcom Commissioner Tomas Osias concurs.
You may agree or disagree with me, but one of the most beautiful things in life for two people in love is to make love. Here's the snag, however. If the love act will bring forth a child into this world, the innocent child must be very dearly loved, and the parents are obligated to have him/her 'fed adequately, clothed, sheltered, and educated.' If these things are beyond you, by all means, resort to birth control.
Below are some useful information I have culled from the Population Council (http://www.popcouncil.org/). Those of you who are of childbearing age may avail yourselves of the same information from the Popcom Regional Office and the Dept. of Health as well as guidance in maintaining reproductive health. Remember, the more informed you are about birth control, the more control you will have whether you want a child or not. Talk with the doctor how well one of these methods will work for you:
Periodic Abstinence or Fertility Awareness Methods - A woman who has a regular menstrual cycle has about seven or more fertile days or days when she is able to get pregnant, each month. Periodic abstinence means you do not have sex on the days that you may be fertile. These fertile days are approximately 5 days before ovulation, the day of ovulation, and one or more days after ovulation. Fertility awareness means that you can be abstinent or have sex but you use a 'barrier' method of birth control to keep sperm from getting to the egg. Barrier methods include condoms, diaphragms, or cervical caps, used together with spermicides, which kill sperm. These methods are 75 to 99% effective at preventing pregnancy.
The Male Condom - Condoms are called barrier methods of birth control because they put up a block, or barrier, which keeps the sperm from reaching the egg.
Oral Contraceptives - Also called 'the pill,' contains the hormones estrogen and progestin and is available in different hormone dosages. A pill is taken daily to block the release of eggs from the ovaries. Oral contraceptives lighten the flow of your period and can reduce the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ovarian cancer, benign ovarian cysts, endometrial cancer, and iron deficiency anemia. If you are over age 35 and smoke, or have a history of blood clots or breast, liver, or endometrial cancer, your doctor may advise you not to take the pill. The pill is 95 to 99.9% effective at preventing pregnancy.
The Mini-Pill - Unlike the pill, the mini-pill only has one hormone, progestin, instead of both estrogen and progestin. Taken daily, the mini-pill thickens cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching the egg. It also prevents a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus (womb). The mini-pill also can decrease the flow of your period and protect against PID and ovarian and endometrial cancer.
Continuous Abstinence - This means not having sexual intercourse at any time. It is the only sure way to prevent pregnancy. This method is 100% effective at preventing pregnancy. Bear in mind that NO method of birth control prevents pregnancy all of the time. Birth control methods can fail, but you can greatly increase a method's success rate by using it correctly all of the time. The only way to be sure you never get pregnant is to not have sex (abstinence).
Let's get real. Can two people in love afford abstinence? No! Then resort to birth control if you're not ready to feed, clothe, shelter, and educate your child. Inquire about other methods suited to your own reproductive health needs: Intrauterine Device, Female Condom, Depo-Provera, Diaphram, Cervical Cap or Shield, Contraceptive Sponge, The Patch, Hormonal Vaginal Contraceptive Ring, Surgical Sterilization (Tubal Ligation or Vasectomy), Non-surgical Sterilization, and Emergency Contraception.
There now - I did say aggressive promotion of birth control. No holds barred. Full speed ahead, eh, Popcom.
(Comments to lagoc@hargray.com)