10 Things Never to Say to an RH Advocate

Warning 1: Anything you say can and will be used (against you) in my Codswallop.

Warning 2: If you dislike to be advised to read more, then better steer clear of this Codswallop, as  shall be putting in a lot of links for extra reading. I'm Hermione-ish that way. 

One of my madami-at-malanding selfies for the support of RH

I've been an outspoken advocate for the Reproductive Health Bill (now Law) since 2011. I've fought for it online and in the streets, like others of RH advocates. I've debated with Anti-RH people, converted a few of them, and continued to bust myths about the law until this day (although often I advice people to read so they can understand stuff for themselves). As such, I've heard almost everything - from the smartest arguments against the law, to the stupidest, flippant, most insignificant, stuff by religious fundies or people who open their mouths before actually having read ANYTHING about the law.

Thus, this list.

1. "The RH Law legalizes abortion."

Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Section 3 of RA10354 or the Reproductive Health Law. I think this is pretty darn clear. 

2. "Konti lang naman ang namamatay." - Nursing graduate from one of the top 4 universities, talking about maternal mortality rate. 

#slashwrist moment.

Let me give you numbers, kid. In 2009, 1,599 women died due to childbirth-related complications. That's 1,599 families who lost their  "ilaw ng tahana", countless children who have lost their mother, probably more than a thousand husbands who lost their wives. That's not just a number, kid. Those are people, who had lives. The number is less than 1% of the 100 million population we currently have, but to the people who love them, they could mean the world.

Now how would you feel if your mom died because you couldn't afford maternal care and I tell you, "Ok lang yan, isa lang naman siya e."

3. "Kung gusto nila magkant*t#n, e di gumastos sila! Hindi yung pera ng tax payer ang gagamitin nila pambili ng condom." 

This one, I often hear as an argument from a LOT of antis. News flash: the RH Law is not JUST about contraceptives and family planning (which involve natural family planning, by the way.). With all due respect to the sex-obsessed dudes out there, the RH Law is not just about kant*t#n. Here are the elements of the law you might have missed because you were too busy thinking we'd teach kids how to do the doggy. 

"The elements of reproductive health care include the following:

(1) Family planning information and services which shall include as a first priority making women of reproductive age fully aware of their respective cycles to make them aware of when fertilization is highly probable, as well as highly improbable;

(2) Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including breastfeeding;

(3) Proscription of abortion and management of abortion complications;

(4) Adolescent and youth reproductive health guidance and counseling;

(5) Prevention, treatment and management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs), HIV and AIDS and other sexually transmittable infections (STIs);

(6) Elimination of violence against women and children and other forms of sexual and gender-based violence;

(7) Education and counseling on sexuality and reproductive health;

(8) Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecological conditions and disorders;

(9) Male responsibility and involvement and men’s reproductive health;

(10) Prevention, treatment and management of infertility and sexual dysfunction;

(11) Reproductive health education for the adolescents; and

(12) Mental health aspect of reproductive health care."

This is Section 4, by the way. As you can see, FP is just one of 12 elements of RH. What were you saying about RH = FP again?

4. "Condoms do not prevent HIV. Attitude can."

While it is true that having a safe attitude towards sexual practices, such as abstinence and monogamy, is quite helpful in preventing the spread of HIV, it is not the only way to do so. Anti-condom propaganda, which usually comes from fundies who can't be reminded that even Pope Benedict said condoms are the lesser evil, is being intellectually dishonest when proclaiming that condoms cannot prevent HIV.

Here is what the Center for Disease Control has to say: 

 "Latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In addition, consistent and correct use of latex condoms reduces the risk of other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including diseases transmitted by genital secretions, and to a lesser degree, genital ulcer diseases. Condom use may reduce the risk for genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV-associated diseases, e.g., genital warts and cervical cancer."

Here's another: 

"Laboratory studies have demonstrated that latex condoms provide an essentially impermeable barrier to particles the size of HIV."

 I fucking love science. 

Here is Le Factsheet.

5. "The RH Law is just another venue for corruption." 

This common argument for those who oppose the use of taxes in ensuring that people are given reproductive health information and services. Here is the truth: there is no assurance that the money for the implementation of the RH Law will not be Napoletized, especially with the breed of so-called political leaders we have today. However, I believe that reproductive health is worth this risk. If the government is willing to fund bills on making adobo our national food, malunggay as our national vegetable, renaming public structures such as airports and major highways to political and religious leaders, and other asinine pursuits, I think they - and we, by extension - should be more than willing to use money to ensure that we curb the high maternal mortality rate, cases of teen pregnancy, and new cases of HIV.

If we wish to not pursue the RH Law because the money may be corrupted, then this logic is applicable to ALL kinds of policies, programs, and legislation, not just RH. Thus, if we want to ensure that no corruption will be committed, we either (1) purge the system of the likes of Tanda, Pogi, and Gwapo or (2) cease from pursuing any legislative agenda, policy, or project that would have to make use of the people's money. Which one are those, you ask?

ALL of them.


Number one is much better, I think. 

6. "Teen pregnancy is not the government's problem."

I worked in an NGO for three months, on  project that was supposed to be funded by the PDAF, and as a researcher/assistant writer for our Executive Director for our business plan. Here I am, in all my glory (or the lack thereof) slaving through several webpages and real pages of research, proving to myself that teen pregnancy IS INDEED A PROBLEM and something that the government needs to address.

Make-up-less, sleepless, and love life less. But I did learn a lot of stuff about sex.

Here are some quick facts from NSO, which was presented in the Teen Pregnancy Summit in :

1. In 2010, there were 207,898 live births by teen mothers. 
2. 168 out of 1,719 maternal deaths in 2010 were teenage mothers. 
2. In 2010, 669 out of 8,095 fetal deaths or 8.3% is by teenage mothers. 

if you aren't alarmed by these statistics, then there are others who seem to be in the right state of mind who are. Ultimate Girl Crush Mirian Defensor Santiago, for instance, filed a bill to give further support to projects addressing TP. The National Youth Commission under Commissioner Perci Cendana, is also after the improvement of TP stats. 

Why, you may ask. Well, if you haven't figured it out yet, here are some effects of TP:

1. An adolescent's body is not yet prepared for pregnancy, so carrying a child makes her and the child more at risk for complications - thus fetal and maternal deaths.
2. A teenager has very little financial capacity to raise a family. If college grads in their early twenties have to struggle every day and the pay isn't even enough to start a family, do you think it would be easier for a 14-year old, barely-out-of-high-school girl to financially survive raising a child?
3. Teenage moms who leave school to have their babies usually find it difficult to go back and finish school. A secure financial future would be difficult to achieve as of this point.
4. Because our society overlaps with the Idiot Society, teen mothers are discriminated against.

So I guess teen pregnancy should be a government priority after all. 

7. "The RH law offends my religious beliefs!"

We are a secular country, as stated in the constitution. Legislation should NOT favor your religion. Get over it.

8. "Contraceptives have side effects and risks! We should BAN them."

Safe practice is needed in order to ascertain clients' safety when using medications. Health care professionals are trained (and should be trained) to weigh the pros and the cons of an intervention. 

Reality check: ALL medications have side effects and risks. You just have to flip through MIMS to prove. Shall we ban ALL medications then?

9. "I haven't read the law but I am against it!!!"

That's the problem right there: you make decisions without actually knowing what you are making decisions about. Here is the link to RA10354. Read it, before saying stuff about something you barely have any comprehension of.

10. "The RH Law is unconstitutional."

 Last week, my boss asked me if I wanted to go to Baguio. I was there last March to help set up our company's Baguio branch  by hiring teachers and checking out our new office. It was all work and no play for me, considering that I was alone and I had no idea (and time) to explore the City of Pines. I did buy my mom brocoli and my other loved ones little pasalubong. 

I realized that I should have went, and maybe stayed an extra couple of days. You see, this week,advocates of the Reproductive Health Law braved the cold winds of Baguio. The Supreme Court finally made the decision that quite literally brought tears to my eyes.

Yeah baby! Let's Purple party! <3 font="">

Advocates to March for RH Law

Layout by Alvin Cloyd Dakis

March 28, Manila – Together with women from all walks of life, government officials, civil society partners, young people, and celebrity supporters, SRHR advocates will march to urge the Supreme Court Justices to uphold the Reproductive Health Law. Prominent among these groups are the International Youth Council (IYC) Pilipinas, the Philippine Society for Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses, the Health Youth Policy Empowerment, the Humanist Association of the Philippines, International (HAPI), and the Philippine Health Bloggers Society. 

The march will commence at Anda Circle, pass the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines’ office in Intramuros, before proceeding to the Supreme Court in Padre Faura, and lastly to Plaza Salamanca in Taft. The march will begin at 2PM. Attendees of the march are encouraged to wear purple shirts or accessories.

“It is only humane to support the RH Law. As a humanist group, we believe that the law is scientifically sound and is geared toward human progress, poverty alleviation, and health improvement,” HAPI president Alvin Dakis said.

The RH Law, which has gone through more than 14 years of debate in both upper and lower house and has been defended both in the streets and cyberspace, was signed into a law in December 21, 2012. However, the Supreme Court placed the law under Status Quo Ante after several groups, majority with religious in nature, filed petitions questioning its constitutionality. The Supreme Court is expected to give its decision by April.

"We believe that the law is not merely constitutional - it is just and essential. Mothers are dying, young girls are getting pregnant, and the HIV is wrecking havoc in our society as we speak," PHBS president Janina Santos emphasized. "PHBS believes in advocating for health online, but we are willing to bring our fight in real life when the situation calls for it. This is that situation."

“It is more than high time to have this piece of legislation permanently put into practice. People deserve informed choice,” maintained Aljohn De Leon, HAPI Deputy Secretary.

Sex Talk: Demanding SSS

In bed, if you want some well-deserved oral action, you coax and ask nicely. Unless your partner is a newbie, the kind who finds vaginal fluids yucky, or just a selfish jerk (and honey there are a lot of 'em), then he (or she) would most likely give in to your desires. After all, how many times have you given him head (or vice versa)?

In the Philippines, safe, satisfying sex is much harder to get...and I'm not talking about the Filipino's prowess in bed. The RH Law has been dragged through the legislative process for nearly 15 years, and the Filipino people, especially those who belong in the lower economic class, have had to deal with the alarming increase in teen pregnancy, the staggering statistics of new cases of HIV/AIDS, maternal deaths, and everyday headlines of violence against women and children. SSS (safe and satisfying sex) - or as we in the the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses like to call it, sexual and reproductive health and rights - should already be at hand. After all, the law has been passed. But after several petitions in the Supreme Court by the anti-RH camp, it was placed in Status Quo Ante. This is like dangling a particularly scrumptious piece of bread in front of a starving child. Sadly, this metaphor is surprisingly adequate given that government-supported reproductive and sexual health services would not only make our men, women, and children healthier, it would also contribute to the economic stability of families and individuals. 

We all know the arguments of the Pro-RH - no need to re-state them here. The problem is this: we have an RH Law that is NOT being implemented, and everyday that it is being delayed, more and more women die giving birth, more and more people are at risk for early, unwanted pregnancies and sexually-transmitted diseases.

In response to this, the Forum for Family Planning and Development rounded up one of the most powerful groups to drumbeat the issue - media. I was lucky enough that, as member of the Philippine Health Bloggers Society and the Philippine Society of Sexual and Reproductive Health Nurses, I was tapped as one of the attendees of the 2-day media training and planning. 

The plan is simple: Get the media to demand for Reproductive Health. 

This was why the Forum organized Demand RH: Media Training and Planning, a two-day event held at the Manila Pavillion from September 28-29. 


Joining forces for RH

When I was younger, I wanted to be a literary writer and a journalist (which explains my admiration for Sir Karl de Mesa, but that, my friends, is another story), so you can imagine my happiness at meeting some of the veterans in print and broadcast media. The participants came from all over the Philippines, each with years of experience in telling news and influencing people. We even have people coming from Zamboanga. T These attendees had years of experience in the craft of telling real stories of real people. I felt quite privileged to be learning with and from them. 

There were also some pretty influential people coming from new media, which is being used as platform to advocate for Reproductive Health. My group, the Philippine Health Bloggers Society, was also part of the event. In attendance were Andrei Dela Cruz, Erick Bernardo, Grace Bondad-Nicolas, Neil Aguas, and Tess Termulo.

 PHBS convening for a #DemandRH media event proposal. I must say Doc Tess look ready for battle. Photocredit to Likes Manglal-lan.

 The power of the media - traditional or otherwise - has proven itself, time and again, in agenda-setting and catalyzing action. This gathering was Step 1 of what would be an all-encompassing campaign for demanding reproductive health. 

What Went Down

Day 1 started off with the Forum's Ms. Chi Vallido's review of the journey of the RH law, including her personal report of what went on in the Supreme Court during the oral arguments. I was simultaneously infuriated and entertained by some of the comments and questions made by the anti-RH camp petitioners and justices. Honestly, the idiocy behind the words would have all been very funny, if we didn't have mothers dying left and right because of the delay in implementing the law. 

We then had Atty. Clare Padilla, Executive Director of EnGendeRights, talk to u about her experience in defending the RH Law. Her manner of arguing for the law and points of contention against the petitions to have the law declared unconstitutional were brilliant and I very helpful for those of us who are rather vocal in our support for the law. The classic secular vs religious ideologies was brought up again, but the lawyer also highlighted constitution expert Father Joaquin Bernas's argument that the life of the unborn should not take first priority over the life of a person. This is also a premise to back therapeutic abortions. 

Our the  afternoon session was a surprise - we actually had a legit Catholic priest with us to talk about the RH Law. When he started his talk by saying "There is no Prince Charming", my doubts began to dissipate. To protect his identity, we shall call him Father Enlightened. He was rather a pleasant surprise. He was not as sassy as my favorite lady journalist Ana Santos, but Father Enlightened had talked of the dangers of gender bias with pretty much the same the broad perspective. Two very striking ideologies hit me quite hard: 

"You do disservice to the RH Law if you just focus on FP."

"The personal is political: Women are facing daily experiences of gender inequality constructed not by nature but PATRIARCHY and SEXISM."

Okay, so I already know this. But it's a pleasant, if not surreal, experience hear a priest talk like this. There were even things that Father Enlightened say that were quite romantic enough to bring back my hope for my own happy ending.: 

"Gender equality demands that we treat one another as an end and not just a means."

Among these wonderful bits of wisdom, Father Enlightened also shared how he defends the RH Law from religiously-rabid anti-RH. The key, he told us, was to fight fire with fire - to use religious doctrines to counter religious doctrines. The Dignitanis Humanae is an encyclical that is a good start. There are several other Church documents that the Pro-RH people can look into, such as the Life of the World (Pope Benedict XVI) and Pope John Paul's Letter to Women in 1995. The irony was sweet.

I have to say that Father Enlightened's talk was one of my favorite's. 

The last talk of the day was about combining gender sensitivity and media practice. Dianna Mendoza from the Rappler walked us through through creating pieces that consider the plight of women and that would highlight gender equality. This is of particular importance to me, because the Catholic Church, the main religion rallying against the Reproductive Health Law, has quite a network when it comes to media and thus agenda setting using both traditional and new media is easy to them. 

Day 1 ended with Chinese dinner and beer, and Likes Manglal-lan, fellow Emerging Youth Leader for SRHR, hanging out with me and Ms. Grace in our room. 

Day 2 of the Demand RH training was quite exciting for me. We had two speakers in the morning, the first one being Rochit Tañedo. Ms. Rochit gave us several feature stories on SRHR scenarios, one of which is about a teen-age girl called Princess who got pregnant as a result of corrective rape. The girl was a tomboy. After reading the material, we performed an impromptu interview. I played the Princess, and another of our fellow trainee played a radio host who threw me interview questions. The exercise unearthed some pretty disturbing realities, primarily how calloused media personnel could be in the face of getting the news. It was a good analysis, especially since we also shared the good practices when dealing with sensitive cases like that of a rape victim. In addition, having read Ms. Rochit's pieces made me realize that a compelling story is a story with a face, and the human element is imperative to drumbeat the need for RH. 

One of my girl crushes, Ana Santos, was the last speaker of the training. CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of the fab website Sex and Sensibilities, Ms. Ana has always been my idol when it comes to writing about sex. She does it in a way that is neither too sterile nor too pokpok-like. Ms Ana brings the casual tone to sex talk, which is always a breath of fresh air, since we live in a country in which anything related to sex is spoken in faint voices or as jest. Being the awesome, sassy word-weaver that she is, Ms. Ana had several quotable quotes. My favorites, though, are these: 

"Sex is not a dirty word. But IGNORANCE is."

" If we want to change the way we view sex, we have to change the way we talk about it."

Day 2 of the media training ended with the mini-meeting of people from different media groups with colleagues using the same medium to come up with plans for drum beating RH. I can't wait for when PHBS finally start.

Learning from the speakers and from each other has given me a different perspective in blogging, and has made me realize that integration of traditional media ethics and skills shall benefit me as a social influencer and an advocate for safe, satisfying sex. 

Demand RH classmates from different media - broadcast, print, and new media. Photocredit to Jonathan Monis.

Four Crazy Things I Found Through Research: Adolescent Sexuality, Religion, and Everything in Between

Hurray! This is my 28^th blogpost! I’ve reached the number of post I had last year and it’s only July! I promise that there is more Codswallop to come. 

Now onwards with the post!

My work for the past few weeks has been centered on scouring the Internet to prove that there is an alarming increase in teenage pregnancy because of lack of information regarding reproductive health. That one is easy: I’ll just have to quote NSO’s press releases which state that there is a 65% increase in teenage pregnancy from 2000 to 2006.[i] My job also includes listing down the reasons as to why there is a lack of access to information. We all know that one of the most obvious reasons is that 81% of Filipinos is Catholic,[ii] but when your bosses include Lizzie Zobel and Alvin Dakis, the reason that “it’s common knowledge” is a reason crushed by skepticism that rivals an atheist’s when confronted with the argument of the existence of god. 

Hungry for knowledge (and honestly terrified of not being able to answer questions thrown during our revision exercises), I channeled Hermione Granger and ate up several volumes of Philippine Population Review, slept with a magazine on girls on migration, and scoured the Internet for anything from Papal Encyclicals to the Jo Imbong’s shiz about sex ed[iii]. And because I’m such a nerd, I’m writing this oh-so-special blogpost to share the happiness and the trauma I’ve experienced during my rabid online research.

Here are some crazy data that I found that made me question, react either with awe or violence, or look out into the horizon and ponder on the meaning of existence. 

1. 83% of Filipinos are on Facebook, Twitter, and other emerging media.[iv]

 

That’s 83% of almost 92 million people, ladies and gentlemen, and there are those who still underestimate the power of the social media to inform and influence. In this day and age of smart

And this tells us the reach – the power- of social media. In this day and age where a significant portion of Filipinos have smart phones, access to internet through their personal computers or through internet shops, many advocacy groups, government agencies, and even the Roman Catholic Church have Facebook and Twitter accounts. 

Just this Tuesday, the oral arguments were held for the Reproductive Health Law at the Supreme Court. Both pro-RH and anti-RH were Tweeting to keep people in the know.  

2. High cost of education and – get this – housekeeping are the top two reasons why girls drop out of school.[v]

I actually received flak from someone online when I posted this little bit of info online, saying that I was insinuating that girls should be lazy and not do housework. It drove me nuts for a couple of seconds, but there you go. I will no longer speak about the incidence.

The point: Why is it that the GIRLS are the ones shown to quit school because of housework? Why not boys?

The question: What does the study tell us?

The hypothesis: This stat has something to do with what’s between the legs. The Filipino culture, known for its patriarchal ideologies (despite ranking 8 in the world in terms of the Gender Gap Index) have stereotyped girls as the keepers of the house – despite the fact that today many women maintain jobs outside the house and are bringing home the bacon. 

One of the many literature I’ve read talked about the dangers of gender roles. In the news, we hear about the inequality of those with penises and with vaginas. The Philippines may be high up in the list of gender equality, but that doesn’t mean we have to stop working for it.

3. Empowered mothers tend to rear empowered daughters – and this means talking about sex.[vi]

 

What does it mean to be an empowered woman? Several things, according to this study – having an education and a career, being able to decide what happens around the house and - surprise, surprise - having the ability to make informed choices about one’s body. That, and being able to pass that knowledge to one’s daughter. In the study, it was shown that empowered moms would more likely advice their daughters to delay sexual initiation and give them the necessary sex ed to their children. 

4. Abstinence is more frequently talked about during integrated sex ed class than reproductive anatomy.[vii]

I shiz you not,dear Reader. Not using your reproductive anatomy is taught more than WHAT your reproductive anatomy is. 

My desk is a reflection how crazy I've become.

The Internet is an awesome reservoir of knowledge, and this past few weeks have been a learning experience for me. The multitude of data and information I was able to take in were eye-opening and had elicited a variety of emotions – like I said, from awe to violence – but most importantly, the job has made me look closer at what is happening in real life, it has made me question and seek answers.

If you’re interested in any of the stuff I talked about here, check out the linkies below for more cool/infuriating stuff about religion, sexual health, and young people. 

Knock yourself out.

---

[i] “Pregnancy among girls under the age of 20 increased by 65 per cent over a 10-year period, from 2000-2010, despite a reverse trend in teen marriages, which is on the decline, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).”

http://www.unfpa.org.ph/index.php/news/323-philippines-highlights-rising-teen-pregnancy-on-1st-international-day-of-girl-child

[ii] http://www.sws.org.ph/pr20130407.htm

[iii] “Supposing [a girl] says, ‘I think I love this guy, He’s my crush. He wants to be more intimate with me,’ and then she gets abused. That was her decision. She entered into it. There is already consent, therefore you cannot anymore charge the other person. See how dangerous it is?"

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/196473/news/specialreports/cbcp-sex-ed-will-cause-developmental-harm

[iv] McCann International study on social media use: Power to the People Social Media Tracker Wave 3

http://www.slideshare.net/mickstravellin/universal-mccann-international-social-media-research-wave-3

[v] UNICEF

http://www.unicef.org/philippines/brief04_fnl.pdf

[vi] http://www.ucghi.universityofcalifornia.edu/docs/womens-health/influence-of-parents-marital-relationship.pdf

[vii] In a study conducted by Merlyne Paunlagui, et. al. in 2005, abstinence was more commonly discussed than sexual decision-making (37.86%), reproductive anatomy (35.92%), contraception (30.10%), and risk reduction, which received the lowest attention at 25.24%.

http://journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/rws/article/viewFile/2898/2680