The issue about birth control inclusion in the education curriculum has been one of the hottest and the most talked about topics in the education industry. Of course, along with this comes family planning, back up plans, and the like. Just yesterday, the topic about birth control use for adolescent age people has been discussed in a plenary session.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, sponsor of the Senate Bill No. 1334, or more commonly known as the “Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2020,” looks to establish a somewhat national policy that would prevent the pervasive pregnancies in the teenage range.
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This “policy” shall be given and observed in school; it should be taught to students who are already capable of conceiving.
Birth Control Distribution in Schools
In the measure, Senate President Vicente Sotto III asked Senator Hontiveros if the measure would also include:
- Distribution of contraceptives in schools; and
- Lessons on contraceptive use in the curriculum
This was to clarify to what extent the measure would be in. In her response, Senator Hontiveros said that comprehensive sexuality education wouldn’t tackle family planning products. Instead, what it would have would be the strategies and the methods of family planning.
Not necessarily because this is comprehensive sexuality education it does not speak specifically about provision of family planning products so when we include here effective contraceptive use in comprehensive sexuality education, it’s teaching the adolescent students the range of family planning methods.”
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Technically speaking, the brith control use in the curriculum would stray from the physical family planning products and more on the strategies and the techniques of family planning. Hontiveros adds that the birth control use can actually be included and taught in certain subjects such as Social Studies, Family, or Science.
Teaching of Promiscuity?
In addition to that, Senate President Sotto asked that if they are to push this, wouldn’t it be seen as teaching promiscuity? Since there are a lot of adolescents nowadays who are knowledgeable about birth control use; wouldn’t they view and see it as an attack rather than a form of help?
He even said that there are a ton of Christian Schools in the country that are hesitant to open topics like this inside the classroom. Because of its sensitivity, not a lot of schools and learning institutions are open to it.
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As a response to that, Senator Hontiveros continues to say that enabling the birth control use topics and lessons to be a part of the curriculum will help debunk myths and superstitious beliefs about couples. This would teach them what’s right and what’s not when they are in the proper age.
It’s to debunk myths in order to enable couples, when they are of the proper age, not when they are still adolescents, to plan their family. It promotes abstinence as a positive choice and it also teaches adolescents how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections should they engage in sexual activities.”
Final Verdict
Overall, Senate Bill No. 1334 or more commonly referred to as the Prevention of Adolescent Pregnancy Act of 2020; is a comprehensive bill that would tackle the usage of birth control items and strategies that would help students. The fact that it’s planned to be a part of the curriculum makes it more interesting and somewhat, more effective than how lawmakers called for it before.
To clarify; the bill does not include any type of additional services such as the distribution of contraceptives in schools. The education about birth control use would be focusing on the content, the lessons, and the planning stage; not in the distribution of supplies.
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Would Lessons About Birth Control Use be Important?
One reason why this bill is such a hot topic is the fact that it’s known and believed to stop the widespread cases of teen pregnancies in the country. Because of the lack of planning; the lack of education, and the overall ignorance about it, more and more teens get pregnant by the day.
As of the moment; the idea of the bill that Senator Risa Hontiveros plans on submitting has been suspended. However, it is expected to be continued in the following weeks, to months; or even years and is up for discussion.
What do you think about the birth control use lessons that the bill is trying to establish? Would this help in the current situation that our country is in, in terms of the population? Can this be the key to the problem that we are having with teenage pregnancies?
Source: GMA News Online