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Vol. XXI, No. 1
Friday-Saturday, July 27-28, 2007 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Health

Condom use shows men’s commitment to reproductive health

In Philippine culture, it is thought that men usually have the final say when it comes to family affairs. They are the main decision makers in all important family endeavors.

When it comes to family planning and reproductive health, Filipino men should also take the lead or, at the very least, share the responsibility with their partners and take part in making decisions on family size and contraceptive use.- Doing so shows their commitment and support to their— partners, and to ensuring a more stable future for their families.

The first thing that is best for men to do is discuss with their partners how many children they want to have. They also need to decide when they want to have children, the intervals between births, and the contraceptive method to be used. Studies done in the past reveal that couples who discuss these goals are more likely to succeed in achieving the size of family they want than those who do not.

In using contraceptives, men should be supportive of the method preferred by their partners. Studies have shown a higher compliance and continuation rate of contraceptive use among women whose husbands support their contraceptive methods than those whose husbands do not give support.

Men can also show their support for their partners’ contraceptive use in seemingly little ways, such as helping them remember when to take a pill or when to return to the clinic for an injection. They can also help by shouldering their partners’ contraceptive-related expenses and by taking care of the children whenever their partners have to go to the clinic.

The best way though for men to show their support and commitment for their partner’s and their family’s health is by using contraceptive methods themselves.

Unfortunately, many Filipino men are still clueless when it comes to the contraceptive methods available to them. In fact, some of them still resort to the withdrawal method, a practice that is proven to fail one out of every four times.

This means that one out of four women who use the withdrawal method is likely to become pregnant. Moreover, withdrawal does not protect against sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS.

The use of condoms is proven safe because it has no hormonal side effects. Allergy to latex, the material used to make condoms, may occur but only in rare cases.

Condoms are also a very convenient and easy-to-use method since these are available at supermarkets, convenience stores, gasoline stations and leading drugstores. Condoms can also be used with very little practice and couples do not need to consult a health provider prior to use.

Most importantly, condoms are highly effective, not only in preventing unplanned pregnancies but also in protecting against sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS.

Trust classic condoms are quality, imported condoms that routinely pass through electronic testing to assure high standards.

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