On Using Birth Control in the Philippines
Writing a blog about a surprisingly-still-taboo topic in the Philippines, because well, in the words of a millennial actress, "Ano na, 2020 na!"
I first had my sexual encounter when I was 14 years young. Currently at my late 20's, I am now married to my first and last boyfriend (we were together for around 12 years before I got married). We are each other's firsts in all things romantic and sexual, so I guess we got lucky that we found our forever very early on.
While I'm not proud of being maharot at a very young age, I still try to be as open and as honest as possible. By doing so, I hope to somehow make a contribution into engaging people, especially adolescents, to be educated in the topic and to erase the stigma that comes with talking about sex. Before I continue, please note that I do not encourage promiscuity. What I do encourage is having open discussions that are based on facts and debunking myths, especially harmful ones.
To go straight to my experience, I won't belabor the obvious anymore — how our country has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates among the ASEAN countries or how the percentage of teenage pregnancy has doubled in the past years. If you want to learn about the most recent data and statistics on teenage pregnancies, click this link for UNFPA's Policy Brief on Eliminating Teenage Pregnancy in the Philippines. You can also check out this link to know why the Philippines has so many teen moms.
Okay, so now on to the main topic: birth controls.
The first birth control methods we used were condoms and the withdrawal method. We were so naïve and clueless because back then, mobile internet still costs a fortune and while we already have Google, googling wasn't a term yet. This is where teaching reproductive health in schools would have come in really handy but, well, Philippines. 😕
Just to give you an idea how naïve we were, take a look (and a laugh) at the following anecdotes:
- We were so afraid to get pregnant while still being high school students that, on top of using condoms, we would also use withdrawal method.
- When we thought that the condom might have broke, we got so nervous that right after having sex, we went straight to reading anything sex-related on the freaking encyclopedia! Naturally, we didn't find anything of use that would lessen our panic attack.
- We would often have sex when I have my period solely because we thought doing so would not result in any pregnancy. We didn't use a condom or the withdrawal method while on period.
A year before we got married, I chanced upon other forms of birth control. It came as a surprise to me that there are actually quite a lot of available birth controls, including pills, IUD, and injectables among others. I didn't feel like pills are my thing, so I never used those. For some reason, I wanted to try injectables. After a bit of research and solicitation of advice from online forums like Reddit, I chanced upon Likhaan.
According to its website and Facebook page, "Likhaan is a non-government, non-profit organization founded in 1995 by a group of feminists, political activists, community women leaders and health workers. It was organized to respond to women’s expressed need for sexual and reproductive rights and health services."
In 2019, I had the chance to visit Likhaan on three occasions to take injectables. On my first visit, I drove to their branch in Tondo, Manila. The branch in Quezon City was nearer, but at the time, the Tondo branch was the nearest one that is open on Saturdays. The drive to Tondo was 1.5-hour long and if you're bringing a car, there are no nearby designated parking lots. From what I can remember, the road is so busy because this branch was very near the port, so expect numerous trucks plying the roads.
Once I got there, I mentioned my purpose (to get injectables) and they gave me a registration form to fill out. It's basically like the usual medical form asking for basic details about you, including your sex history. It will not take you more than 10 minutes to answer the form.
Afterwards, the clinic personnel interviewed me and asked things like if it's my first time to take injectables, how many sexual partners did I have, menstruation cycle, etc. They were all so professional and you will not feel like you are being judged. I was also given informational leaflets/brochures while waiting.
After waiting, I was then redirected to a smaller room (much like a doctor's office where s/he receives clients). I was asked to put write my name and address on a piece of index card. The card served as some sort of tracker that I had to bring each time I visited Likhaan. Then, the clinic personnel briefly explained to me how the injectables work and other things I should take note of like:
- The injectable is effective for a period of 3 months. I can go back to take my next shot as early as 1 week before the expiration date.
- If it's your first time to use the injectable, you have to wait for 10 days before engaging in unprotected sex. I was offered condoms that I can use during the 10-day wait but I declined since I won't be seeing my husband naman that much during that 10-day period.
- Possible side effects were also discussed to me, such as headache and spotting.
The injection was... truly painful. I took probably around 10-15 seconds since the shot needs to be emptied. The injection felt so deep, and I believe it was called subcutaneous injection (you can search what it means) and the content was called Depo Provera. After the injection, the clinic personnel will write some details on your index card like name of medicine, injection site (whether left or right arm), as well as the date for your next visit.
I was lucky because my side effects were pretty mild. I never had headaches, but I did have minor spotting which I experience a few weeks before the expiration of the shot. I also experienced weight gain and noticed a significant decrease in libido. Prior to taking the shots, I never used lubricants and didn't need foreplay before intercourse. However, since taking the shots, I sometimes find it difficult to get ready for intercourse and I would often need foreplay or use lubricants.
I took 3 shots during 2019 and stopped already since my husband and I plans to start a family soon. By the way, I didn't have my regular period when I had the shots, and my period came back 2-3 months after my 3rd/last shot expired. My period was regular naman na once it came back.
So... that's the story of my birth control experience! Do you have a story to tell as well? :)
