Women Petition Law Banning Contraceptive In Clinics In Manila, Philippines

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 01 Feb 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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Women from three low-income communities in Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday asked an appeals court to revoke a local law that bans city clinics from providing contraceptives, Reuters UK reports. Lawyers representing the women said the law is unconstitutional (Mogato, Reuters UK, 1/30).

Family planning advocates in the Philippines in September 2007 announced plans to file a lawsuit against Environment Secretary Lito Atienza for removing all contraceptives from city clinics when he was mayor of Manila. The Reproductive Health, Rights and Ethics Centre and other groups said they had testimony on how Atienza, a devout Catholic, introduced a policy in 2000 prohibiting public clinics from issuing contraceptives or educating people about how to use or obtain them. The suit aims to "hold (Atienza) liable for acts which caused injury to women," Elizabeth Pangalangan -- executive director of the Reproductive Health, Rights and Ethics Centre -- has said (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/2/07).

Sylvia Estrada Claudio, a doctor and head of a local nongovernmental organization helping the women, said it took eight years to seek a court order to revoke the local law because women were afraid to testify. "We have a new mayor who has a more open mind [on] other forms of family planning methods," she said, adding that she is optimistic that the ban will be revoked. Gerry Cruz, a doctor and member of the Philippine Family Planning Organization, said, "We're supporting these women's petition not just from the legal point of view, but more on the health aspects because we saw a study showing an alarming increase in maternal deaths in Manila due to multiple pregnancies," Cruz said.

According to Reuters, higher-income residents in the Philippines have been able to access prescription contraceptives in private clinics, but lower-income residents have largely depended on USAID, which has been the largest supplier of contraceptives in the Philippines for the last 30 years. However, USAID has begun to phase out its program and plans to end donations in 2008. Cruz said the country's population could reach 150 million in the next 20 years if the government does not develop an effective population management program. According to Reuters UK, about 500,000 women annually are estimated to have abortions in the country despite the procedure being illegal, and many of them die because the practice is performed by untrained people (Reuters UK, 1/30).

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