Importance of Family Planning

Every couple or individual has the freedom to choose how many children they want to have and the freedom to decide the timing and spacing of any pregnancy. Family planning lets couples and individuals protect themselves and their family’s well-being in significant ways, such as:

Pregnancy complications can be minimized

Family planning helps protect women from any health risks that may occur before, during or after childbirth. These include high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, infections, miscarriage and stillbirth.

According to studies, women who bear more than 4 children are at increased risk for maternal mortality, so they need to plan accordingly. Women who get pregnant after the age of 35 are vulnerable to health risks, so they should be protected through careful planning as well.

Also, by reducing unintended pregnancies, family planning also removes the option for unsafe abortion.

Adolescent pregnancies can be reduced

Females who are 10-19 years old are more likely to have a preterm baby, or a baby that’s born before the 37 weeks of pregnancy have been completed. Also, a baby born to a teenage mother will have higher rates of neonatal mortality. 

Family planning and, more specifically, contraception, can protect teenagers from the physical, emotional and financial burden of unplanned pregnancy.

Infant mortality rates can be cut down

When a pregnancy is unplanned, ill-timed, or too closely spaced, it affects the mother’s health which, in turn, affects the health and safety of her unborn child. 

Moreover, an infant will have a greater risk of death and weak health if the mother dies while giving birth.

Sexually-transmitted infections can be prevented

The proper and consistent use of male and female condoms protects an individual both from unplanned pregnancies as well as sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, AIDS, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

People get educated and empowered

When a couple or an individual is aware of their rights and knows what their options are, they can make sound decisions in life. 

Family planning can help a couple or an individual decide on what’s best for their sexual and reproductive health. By carefully spacing pregnancies, a couple can build financial security, allowing them to raise a family that they can properly care for. A family that is properly cared for is a healthy family, and a healthy family is the foundation of a healthy community.

How can The Medical City help you?

The Institute for Women’s Care offers a wide scope of general and subspecialty inpatient and outpatient services that address every phase a woman experiences throughout her lifetime. We have included Family Planning as one of the modules in our regular mothers’ classes. Our trained OB-GYNs provide family planning counseling allowing our patients to choose which method is appropriate for them. We offer safe, effective, legal, non-abortifacient, and culturally acceptable family planning methods.

For more information, you may contact:

Institute for Women’s Health

8-988-1000 / 8-988-7000 ext. 6338

References:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/family-planning-contraception

https://www.doh.gov.ph/family-planning

https://www.doh.gov.ph/node/1291

https://www.livestrong.com/article/72185-importance-family-planning/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/birth-control/basics/natural-family-planning/hlv-20049454

https://www.familyplanning.org.nz/news/2013/benefits-of-contraception-use

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/pregnancy/conditioninfo/complications

https://www.who.int/features/qa/preterm_babies/en/

http://www.searo.who.int/entity/child_adolescent/topics/adolescent_health/en/