Despite the reduced incidents of unintended pregnancies in the region, cases of abortion have noticeably increased in the Visayas where an estimated 17 of every 1,000 woman have gone through such process.
A study on unintended pregnancies in the Philippines conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute showed that abortion cases in the Visayas have increased by more than 50 percent.
The records showed that an average of 11 out of every 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years old have undergone abortion in 1994, compared to 17 2000.
However, while the average rate is lower in the entire Visayas, it is highest in Central Visayas where an estimated 24 of every 1,000 women are seeking abortion as a means to end unwanted pregnancies. Eastern Visayas follows with an average of 17 while Western Visayas posed the lowest figure at 10.
The Guttmacher study showed that unintended pregnancy is the main cause of abortion, which has become a common occurrence despite its illegality.
According to the report, nearly half of all pregnancies or 1.43 million of about 3.1 million pregnancies in the country are unintended, a third of which are ended through abortion.
“In the Visayas, 44 percent of all pregnancies are unintended,” the Guttmacher report claimed, adding that more than 9,000 women in the Visayas are hospitalized annually due to complications arising from induced abortions.
Likhaan, a non-government organization working on reducing the number of unintended pregnancies, said there is a need for a “national action to prevent unintended pregnancy and ensure the safety of women who undergo abortion.”
Likhaan executive director Dr. Junice Melgar said that “there is an urgent need for quality and compassionate contraceptive counseling to help reduce unintended pregnancies,” adding that, myths concerning contraceptive use are still high, thus there is a need for “better education and counseling.”
Recently, Likhaan, in partnership with the Media Advocates for Reproductive Health and Empowerment-Visayas, has conducted a forum entitle “Abortion Crisis in the Visayas.”
Melgar believes that media can provide a big help in educating the public as well as encouraging local governments to set up measures to prevent unintended pregnancies and provide quality health care and services to women in the Visayas. — Gregg M. Rubio/LPM