Men urged to take active role in family planning

MANILA – An official of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) on Wednesday urged men to also take an active role in family planning to ease off burden from women. 

 “Undergoing a non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) is a concrete manifestation of your love and care to your spouses and partners. That is our challenge to Filipino males,” POPCOM chief Dr. Jeepy Perez told reporters. 

Compared to bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) procedures that women take, NSV is more convenient, he said.  During the height of the pandemic, the POPCOM has leveled up its efforts on distributing contraceptive pills among women through its regional offices. 

 It cited that the prolonged quarantine can provoke sexual activities between couples, prompting a surge in the country’s population which is also a government concern.  

Perez said pills are currently being used by only 30 percent of Filipinas for family planning. “As the pandemic gradually abated and health restrictions were slowly lifted, many have resorted to bilateral tubal ligations (BTLs). Filipino men can help ease family planning pressures on their spouses and partners by strongly considering undergoing vasectomies,” Perez added. 

Data from POPCOM showed that Filipino women who are into family planning now stand at 8 million.