Results of the Community-Based Peer Monitoring
11
Availability of Family Planning and
Reproductive Health Commodities
during the Lockdowns and Quarantines
In terms of family planning, there are some interviewees who acknowledged
use of family planning commodities/methods during lockdown, these include
using condoms, IUD, injectable/depo, pills, calendar method, and ligation.
However, most of the women with disability interviewees from NCR and Region
VII, and Region X specified that they do not use reproductive commodities as they
are single or do not have partners. The reason for not using is that interviewees
are either in their past reproductive age (menopausal stage) or too young to
use them. Some interviewees said that they would need a doctor’s prescription
before using said reproductive commodities.
Some of the reasons for not being able to obtain reproductive commodities
are also due to the loss of income wherein women with disabilities would rather
buy basic needs than contraceptives. According to one of the interviewees,
reproductive commodities are difficult to obtain from barangay health centers
as it is by scheduled. Access is also affected by current quarantine measures in
place. As stated by one interviewee:
“
Hindi po madaling makakuha (implanon) kasi per
schedule po yung bigay at nitong linggo lang po
ay namaga ang implant ko at pumunta ako sa
health center, at ang sabi po dun sa akin ay baka
imagination ko lang kaya pinauwi na din po ako, at
hindi man lang chineck-up.
[It is not easy to obtain implants (implanon). You have to get it
at scheduled times. Just this week, I experienced swelling at the
implantation site. I went to the health center and was told it was
just my imagination and I was sent home.”]