SWS: Family planning a ‘sacred’ choice for 82% of Pinoys

Four out of the five Filipinos, or 82 percent, recently surveyed by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) consider family planning as a "sacred" personal choice that should not be interfered with. The SWS survey, conducted from June 3 to 6 among 1,200 adults, also showed Filipinos want the government to provide information and subsidize family planning methods. The SWS, which published the on BusinessWorld, its media partner, said the 82 percent rating was 21 points higher than the 61 percent rating on the same issue in November 1990. Personal choice In the survey, 82 percent of the 1,200 respondents agreed with the statement "the choice of a family planning method is a personal choice of couples and no one should interfere with it." Only 8 percent disagreed while 9 percent were undecided. In the 1990 survey, 26 percent were undecided and 13 percent disagreed. The RH bill currently pending in Congress promotes both natural and artificial means of family planning and pushes for sex education in schools. The bill is opposed by the Catholic Church which allows only natural family planning. 'All legal methods' In the 2011 survey, 73 percent of the respondents also said if a couple wanted to practice family planning, relevant information on "all legal methods" should be provided the government. This was 18 points up from the 55 percent rating on the same issue in November 1990. On the other hand, a "majority" of 68 percent agreed that "the government should fund all means of family planning, be it natural or artificial means." A little over half of the respondents disagreed that the use of pills (52 percent), condoms (51 percent), and intra-uterine devices (51 percent) can be considered as abortifacients. Pluralities also rejected the view that the inclusion of family planning in the school curriculum would lead the youth into becoming sexually promiscuous (46 percent) and proposals that tax payments be withheld as a means of protesting the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill (39 percent). - RSJ/VVP, GMA News