Addressing contraceptive needs, especially those of poor women, is crucial

Nine in 10 unintended pregnancies in the Philippines occur among women at risk for unintended pregnancy who are using either no method or traditional methods, which have relatively high failure rates. Figure 2 demonstrates the benefits of contraceptive use by presenting different scenarios in which the types of methods and levels of use differ, while other characteristics of the women are held constant.

In one scenario, all Filipino women at risk for unintended pregnancy use modern NFP methods. Those currently using no method would have fewer unintended pregnancies because pregnancy rates are high among nonusers. However, because modern NFP methods have higher failure rates in typical use than other modern methods, unintended pregnancies among women who currently use other modern methods would increase. The net result would be an annual total of 3.2 million pregnancies, 1.7 million of which would be unintended.

Figure 2 also shows a scenario in which all women at risk who do not practice contraception adopt the method mix of current contraceptive users, including both modern (67%) and traditional (33%) methods. Total pregnancies would decrease to 2.4 million because both modern and traditional methods have lower pregnancy rates than using nothing.

A final scenario estimates the potential outcomes should all women at risk for unintended pregnancy use the same mix of modern methods as women who currently practice modern contraception. Because methods that are much more effective than modern NFP and traditional methods would make up 99% of use, unintended pregnancies would be lower than in either the modern NFP–only or the current method mix scenarios. With full use of modern methods, there would be 1.8 million pregnancies each year, only 0.3 million of which would be unintended. Compared with the current situation, this scenario would result in more than 0.8 million fewer unplanned births, 0.5 million fewer induced abortions and 0.2 million fewer miscarriages. Expanding modern contraceptive use to all women at risk for unintended pregnancy would also prevent 2,100 maternal deaths and 120,000 DALYs among women.

Fulfilling demand for contraceptives could benefit disadvantaged women in particular, given that poor Filipino women experience disproportionately high levels of unmet need and unintended pregnancy. Currently, the poorest third of women are twice as likely as wealthier women to cite lack of access as a reason for not using contraceptives.¹¹ Problems obtaining contraceptive services and health care in general in the Philippines are common among women who live in rural areas, have no education, have five or more children, and live in the regions of Mindanao, Caraga and ARMM.² Addressing disadvantaged women’s needs for services, supplies, information and counseling is both a challenge and an opportunity to make great strides toward improving reproductive health in the Philippines.