PopCom pushes for injectable male contraceptive

PopCom also appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an order declaring the spiking cases of teenage pregnancy as a national emergency. #malecontraceptive

As the lone country in Southeast Asia where teenage pregnancy is on the rise, the Philippines is considering the use of injectable male contraceptive to help address the problem.

During the weekly Pandesal Forum in Quezon City, Commission on Population and Development (PopCom) Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III said the proposal came after researchers at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reported the successful clinical trial on the world’s first injectable male contraceptive.

The ICMR said that once regulatory approval is obtained, the contraceptive will be made available in vials within six to seven months.

“It’s high time that men get involved in reproductive health and responsible parenthood. If that (male injection) is available, all they have to do is to register with the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA),” Perez said.

Perez, however, noted that the proposed contraceptive must first undergo approval from the Food and Drug Administration before it will be allowed in the country.

While this new birth control method remains an idea, the population management body encourages men to participate in family planning.

PopCom said the available birth control methods men can utilize includes the use of condoms, vasectomy and natural family planning.

A 2016 study by United Kingdom National Health Service found out that injectable male contraceptive was “96 percent effective.”

The study noted that the use of such methods may also come with several side effects.

In the Philippines, official data from PopCom indicate that there about 2.1 million Filipino teenagers who are having children.

With around 30,000 young mothers experiencing repeated pregnancy, the Philippines is foregoing about P33 billion in economic revenues.

PopCom also appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to issue an order declaring the spiking cases of teenage pregnancy as a national emergency.

Meanwhile, PopCom director Lolito Tacardon said the agency supports the National Economic and Development Authority’s call to declare a national emergency to press concerned government authorities to immediately focus on addressing the issue.

According to Tacardon, once the issue is declared a national emergency, all the government agencies will be pressed to look into the problem since they will all be required to come up with solutions.

Tacardon said the mitigating solutions that the PopCom is presently implementing, such as the “No More Children Having Children” campaign, are not enough to solve the problem, noting that the agency has limited funding to enforce more aggressive programs.

Despite the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill, Tacardon noted that there are about 150,000 adolescent-led families that lack the support they need.

House Bill (HB) 4742 filed by Laguna 3rd District Rep. Sol Aragones and Senate Bill (SB) 1482 by Senator Risa Hontiveros proposed the development of a national program of action and investment plan for the prevention of teenage pregnancy in the country. But these did not even reach the House Plenary for sponsorship.

In 2014, when the debate on the controversial RH Law was fierce, the Supreme Court scrapped a provision of the RH Law which would allow minors to get contraceptives even without parental consent.

But critics argued that getting parents’ permission before having access to contraceptives is unrealistic as the authorities cannot prevent kids from engaging in sex.

At a time when the alarming number of teenage pregnancy threatens the country’s economy, critics said it is high-time to let go of the conservative thinking to keep up with the liberal world.

Recently, DepEd chief Leonor Briones reiterated the need to instill proper sex education to help the youth pursue better and informed choices.

This, she said, is one major leap to curb the problem. She also reprimanded schools who kicked out pregnant girls.