World Contraception Day celebrates the power of contraception knowledge and access to family planning

Nearly half of all global pregnancies each year are unintended, tallying up to 121 million annually or 332,000 daily. Despite the Philippines’ total fertility rate declining, the country still ranks 56th out of 160 countries in unintended pregnancies. This remains a cause for concern, particularly among girls aged 15 to 19 years and younger, at age 10-14, who are seeing an increasing trend in the number of pregnancies, according to the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). The same report also noted that while half of married Filipino women are using modern family planning (FP) methods, there is still an urgent priority to address unmet needs for family planning, as many Filipinos continue to rely on traditional FP methods.

In a media conference held by Bayer Philippines Inc., the Commission on Population Development (CPD), and The Forum for World Contraception Day 2024, the push continues to increase awareness and normalize conversations around Family Planning (FP) and Reproductive Health (RH). Access to FP and RH options influences the achievement of broader United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equality, good health and well-being, the eradication of poverty, the assurance of quality education for all, and the promotion of sustained economic growth.

“As we commemorate World Contraception Day, our vision remains the same: a world where every pregnancy is wanted, where choices on reproductive health and family planning are made from an informed standpoint. Together with our partners at the Commission on Population Development, and The Forum, our goal is to enable young people to make informed choices on their sexual and reproductive health, by ‘Empowering Choices, One Decision at a Time’” says Angel-Michael Evangelista, Managing Director and Country Division Head – Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Philippines Inc.

CPD Executive Director V – Undersecretary Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D., emphasizes that “the alarming rise in adolescent pregnancies, especially among minors and young girls, underscores a pressing issue. Significant increases in live births among these groups, along with repeat pregnancies and rising adolescent fathers, point to serious concerns, including sexual abuse. By raising awareness and bolstering family planning and contraceptive services, we can empower young people to make responsible choices and take control of their futures.”

The Forum President, Dr. Corazon Raymundo, shared, “Survey after survey, the top sources of young people’s information on sex and sexuality remained to be their peers or friends and other sources like the internet. We believe that if correct information becomes more accessible to the youth, it can enable them to make empowered choices to protect themselves. At the same time, they can be the peers to their other friends who can share correct information about sexual health.” In addition, the Forum’s team has reported that from the accounts of young people from the community they worked with, the youth have access to materials from the internet about sex and sexuality, but content creators are not experts. “In this digital era, we should put more reliable online sources out there to combat false information and other information coming from untrustworthy sources,” Dr. Raymundo added. 

Social platforms boost awareness, access

Building awareness of family planning and reproductive health is essential to help men and women make informed choices and decisions. However, a complex web of barriers still hinders many from accessing or choosing modern contraception options. These barriers are not merely about access; they encompass a broader spectrum of issues including lack of awareness, affordability constraints, and societal limitations tied to age or marital status. 

With women and girls increasingly using digital platforms to share and access information on sexual and reproductive health, including menstrual health, family planning, and comprehensive sexuality education, Bayer Philippines Inc. and the Commission on Population and Development entered a partnership to study and assess the effects of FP content on Facebook in motivating people of reproductive age to avail of FP services in public and private settings in the country. Both already have existing digital initiatives on Facebook – with CPD’s “Usap Tayo sa Family Planning” page and the Bayer Philippines “Ask Mara PH” page that also features a chatbot/helpline.

The study focused on assessing three conversions after exposure to FB content on FP: Conversion 1: Proportion who consulted for FP; Conversion 2: Proportion who availed any FP method; and Conversion 3: Proportion who availed a modern-artificial FP method and unveiling the factors that might affect uptake/non-uptake. 

In the two-touchpoint survey that ran on both Facebook Pages from October 2023 to January 2024, a total of 1,336 respondents indicated that their primary reason for visiting the page was to obtain family planning information, which they found highly useful in their FP decision-making journey. 

Respondents demonstrated a preference for digital materials that show various family planning (FP) methods, highlight their benefits, and include factual data, particularly when presented in video format featuring real individuals. Aside from Facebook, YouTube and TikTok were the top social media platforms visited for FP and RH topics. 

The study revealed a high conversion rate for FP consultations/counseling (77-79%) and the utilization of ANY family planning (FP) method (92-96%); however, preferences were divided between modern-natural and modern-artificial FP methods following engagement with the Facebook pages (modern artificial at 39-50%). The majority of CPD respondents went to a private clinic (68%) while Bayer respondents preferred public health facilities (61%). Shift in target respondents may be attributed to boosting strategies in Facebook. Consultations/counseling were mostly provided by physicians and preferred methods are oral pills and condoms availed from both public health facilities and pharmacies. Procedures such as insertion of progestin subdermal implants and IUD were mostly done in public health facilities.

While the majority of those who have used these FP methods said they were very likely to continue with their chosen method, the reasons for not availing only underscore the need to continue raising awareness and normalizing discussions around FP. Top reasons for not availing of any method include the need for more information or time to decide, inability to find a preferred health facility, could not afford their preferred method, or need to discuss with their partner. 

The key factors influencing the conversion of individuals seeking family planning (FP) consultations at health facilities, utilizing any FP method, and adopting modern artificial FP methods include the respondent’s civil status – specifically being married, engagement with various social media platforms, and the utilization of chatbots/helpline.

The study concludes that being in a committed relationship affects one’s decisions with regards to FP, as married couples are more likely to purposely think about their plans (to either build a family or to delay it) thus the need to highlight the value of healthy sexual communication. In addition, more research into other sites can be promoted to dispel harmful myths or misconceptions, especially on the topic of efficacy of modern artificial FP methods. Further, the use of digital assistance such as chatbots/helplines should be encouraged and maximized, as it appears to be a valuable tool for driving conversions since the technology is easily accessible, and the privacy of these interactions encourages user engagement. 

Given these findings, social media exposure has a significant effect on the contraceptive decisions of Filipino women and men and should be leveraged to further increase awareness and influence positive attitudes toward family planning methods. Information dissemination and media messaging regarding FP should be strengthened (in terms of target audience, and contents) and policies and program interventions should be promoted (also addressing the increasing adolescent pregnancies). Furthermore, additional research can be conducted to better understand factors that promote uptake and prevent non-uptake of FP methods.

Strengthen efforts – online and offline

These results only highlight the urgency to ramp up and strengthen information dissemination online, using validated and trustworthy content. There is likewise a need to assess the Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) interventions and also to boost men’s involvement in RPRH. The online content and the information available offline should be customized to fit the needs of the particular target audience. 

There are many socio-economic barriers faced by young people to get the information and FP access they need. The infrastructure that continues to enable the barriers must be addressed through the concerted effort of the different relevant stakeholders.

“Bayer For Her” reaches out to help

Bayer Philippines’ “Bayer for Her” campaign which launched in 2023 has since reached out to thousands of Filipino women online and offline across the country and continues to run this year. The campaign put women’s health concerns in the spotlight, shifting taboo topics into #ConversationsOfCare by encouraging women to engage in safe space conversations and enabling access to expert medical advice via free OB-GYN consultations at pop-up booths in major pharmacies. Bayer also reaches out to women in rural communities through its Bayer Kubo sites to provide informative sessions about contraception to help dispel myths and misinformation. 

ADVT.

This article is brought to you by Bayer Philippines.