The Reproductive Health Bill in the Philippines is all about the right to sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, equity and empowerment of women, universal access to reproductive health care services, methods, devices and supplies.
There are 6 bills pertaining to reproductive health and/or population management that have been filed for deliberation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the 15thCongress.
The most controversial of these bills is House Bill No. 96 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman. House Bill No. 96, also known as the proposed "Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2010," will cover the following areas:
* midwives of skilled attendance * emergency obstetric care * access to family planning * maternal death review * family planning supplies as essential medicines * benefits for serious and life-threatening reproductive health conditions * mobile health care service * mandatory age-appropriate reproductive health and sexuality education * responsibility of local family planning office and certificate of compliance * capability building of barangay health workers * ideal family size * employers' responsibilities * multi-media campaign * implementing mechanisms * reporting requirements * prohibited acts * penalties
The bill is controversial, as it is being opposed by concerned citizens, especially the pro-life, pro-family and pro-God groups, regardless of creed or religion. The Roman Catholic Church expresses its opposition against the bill on many counts, most especially the procurement and distribution of family planning supplies for the whole country, when the available evidence from peer reviewed medical journals supports the hypothesis that when ovulation and fertilization occur in women taking oral contraceptives (OCs) or using intrauterine devices (IUD), post-fertilization effects are operative on occasion