Y-PEER Group Wants Removal Of Parental Consent In Accessing Reproductive Health Services From RPRH Law

The provision of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health (RPRH) law citing the need for parental consent for teenagers to access reproductive health services should be removed in order to curb the rising cases of teen pregnancies and upward growth of numbers of young people getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

According to Danica Magtubo, peer educator from Y-PEER Pilipinas (Youth Peer Education Network-Philippines), the next set of leaders of the country who will be elected on May 9, 2016 should be aware that there is need for them to revisit the RPRH law and remove the provision preventing access of young people to family planning commodities which are only allowed for women 18 years old and above.

Magtubo said that the provision wherein the minors need to ask for consent from their parents cannot be considered as “child and youth friendly” in the sense that it is hindering the youth the chance to be informed and have knowledge on the use of family planning commodities that can promote safe sex.

She explained it is about time that the use of condoms as a safe sex method should not be considered anymore as a taboo practice and instead the young people with risky behaviors can use them as protection against unwanted pregnancies and even against HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

“If this will be given priority, we will give the youth more chance to achieve their full potentials and we can connect that to improvement in education and employment,” the 21-year-old peer advocate, who started the advocacy since she was 14 years old, said.

To illustrate how serious the problem can affect the youth, she said that because of lack of access to reproductive health rights, some minor women who do not really want to get pregnant at a young age, or those who get pregnant without their will (for example, those victims of incest rape) are left with no choice but to get pregnant again and again because the society does not allow them access to family planning commodities or due to some form of discrimination.

In addition, these women, because of their young age, are not really aware of how to take care of themselves and their babies during their pregnancies.

Moreover, because they are discouraged by discrimination and afraid of society’s “judgment,” they tend to hide their pregnancies which put to risk not only their lives but their babies as well.

As a result, cases of abortions, maternal and infant deaths, and malnourished babies may happen.

Magtubo said that the same is also true to those teenagers who engage in risky sexual behaviors who may face a grim future if they continue to be denied access to RPRH information and services because lack of access is like pushing them further to continuous spread of HIV.

She added that the latest count of HIV cases in the country shows that every hour, there is one HIV case that is happening.

“Most probably, there will be reduction in the number of HIV cases if people are well-informed (at an early age),” she said as she cited that removing the barriers is something that should be considered by the next set of leaders and legislators that will craft the laws as well as leaders from local government units (LGUs) who will implement the measures. (PNA) SCS/LSJ