The RH Bill as supportive of the youth’s right to information

Being educators, we are in favor of the RH Bill’s intent to offer “age-appropriate reproductive health education” to our children and youth. We affirm that this is key to providing young people the information and values they would need, not only to take care of their reproductive and sexual health, but also to arrive at sound and responsible decisions regarding their sexuality, sexual behavior, and family life, whether now or in the future.

In asserting the need for reproductive health education in schools, we are not negating the primary role of parents in educating their children on sex. We believe that families should provide the environment where children can raise their questions, feelings, and needs regarding sex. However, we also recognize that such discussions, in reality, rarely happen, with only, at best, one in five of the youth (15.7%) saying that they can talk about sex at home (2002 YAFSS 3). Given this, reproductive health education in schools becomes all the more imperative.

We share neither the view nor the fear that discussing sex in schools will make adolescents prurient and promiscuous. Rather, we trust that our youth have the capacity to make intelligent and value-driven choices regarding their sexuality and sexual behavior. As teachers, we believe that knowledge is empowering, and thus uphold our youth’s right to information and education on sex and reproductive health. We would like to empower them to make responsible decisions now and in the future, first by providing them correct and sufficient information on reproductive and sexual health, and second, by helping them identify, articulate, and deal with their issues and sentiments regarding sex and their sexuality.

An examination of section 12 of the RH Bill shows that reproductive health education, as envisioned, will promote values espoused by Philippine society in general, and Catholicism, in particular. “Responsible sexuality” (sec. 12.i.) and “abstinence before marriage” (sec. 12.g) ― and not sexual promiscuity ― will be encouraged, even as RH education seeks to create opportunities for young people to air out their “attitudes, beliefs and values on sexual development, sexual behavior and sexual health” (sec. 12.c). Respect for the sanctity of life will be stressed by the RH education’s “proscription [against abortion]” and lessons on the “hazards of abortion” (sec. 12.d). “Responsible parenthood” (sec. 12.e), another key Filipino value, will likewise be emphasized, through, among others, discussions on the “use and application of natural family planning methods to promote reproductive health, achieve desired family size and prevent unwanted, unplanned and mistimed pregnancies” (sec. 12.f).

And who can argue against the need to instill in our children the value of “reproductive health care” (sec. 12.b), or the importance of their “reproductive health and sexual rights” (sec. 12.a)? Will our youth not benefit from being taught about the “prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and other STIs/STDs, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and other gynecological disorders” (sec. 12.h)? Will our young women not become more prepared for motherhood as a result of being educated on “maternal, peri-natal and post-natal education, care and services” (sec. 12.j)? And in case we are worried that our children in elementary school will be taught sex lessons beyond the grasp of their tender minds, we can lay our fears to rest. The RH Bill provides for “age-appropriate reproductive health education” starting from Grade Five up to Fourth Year High School, to be taught by “adequately trained teachers.” This implies that preteeners will study only such topics as the parts of the reproductive system, and proper hygiene and care of one’s body.

In sum, we believe that by upholding our youth’s right to information and education on reproductive health, we are contributing to their development into adults who will exercise their reproductive health and sexual rights, and plan their future families, with great responsibility. We close with this reassuring quote from the United Nations Population Fund: “It has been repeatedly shown that sex education leads to responsible behaviour, higher levels of abstinence, later initiation of sexuality, higher use of contraception, and fewer sexual partners. These good effects are even greater when the parents can talk honestly with their children as well” (UNFPA 2008).