UNIT 6

Gender and Health

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 LESSON 6.1
Health and Well-being of Women and Men

Lesson Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, you should have:

a) Made distinctions between the health needs of women and men;

b) explained orally or in writing how health vulnerabilities of women
and men are affected by their gender roles;
c) recognized the reasons behind the current health issues in the
Philippines; and
d) identified possible problems associated with the implementation
of the RH Law.

Activate

To begin this, I will ask you about your reaction to this picture.

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This is one reproductive health issue and we go through it in the following

discussions.

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Introduction

Women and men are confronted with risks as

they perform their roles in the society. Since they
have different biological make-up and they also
have varying gender roles, they encounter
diverse health issues. This lesson will focus on
the health needs and vulnerabilities of women
and men.

Acquire

The World Health Organization defines health as a complete physical,

mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Better health is central to human happiness and it makes an important
contribution to economic progress.

Women and men vary in relation to the physical spaces they occupy, the
tasks and activities they perform and the people with whom they interact with.
Women, in almost all cultures, have less access and control over resources
including access to facilities like health, education, and training.

These differences in control over

resources, in power and decision-making, and “Gender equity in health is
in roles and responsibilities, have an important goal but it is only
one amongst many and broader
repercussions on women’s and men’s health
issues of discrimination and
status. They result in: disadvantage will also have to
be addressed if progress is to be
1) Differential risks and vulnerabilities to made towards the achievement
infections and health conditions; of gender equality and equal
health for all”
2) Different perceptions of health needs
and appropriate forms of treatment;
3) Differential access to health and - Lesley Doyal
services;
4) Different consequences or outcomes from disease; and
5) Differing social consequences as a result of ill health

Gender may influence health status in the following ways:

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 1) Exposure, risk or vulnerability
2) Nature, severity and frequency of health problems
3) Ways in which symptoms are perceived
4) Health seeking behavior
5) Access to health services
6) Ability to follow advised treatment
7) Long term social and health consequences

Common Ailments among Women and Men

Women and men aren’t equal when it comes to health. Based on many
researches, biology allows one to be vulnerable to certain health problems.
However, most health conditions affect both men and women in varying degrees
and ways. In some cases, doctors don’t have a ready explanation for why certain
disease are more common in one sex than in another. In others, doctors will tell
you complicated genetic, physiological and hormonal factors are at work.

A. Women

When you talk with doctors about women’s health risks, anatomy and
hormones often come up. Here are a few examples:

Stroke

Each year in the U.S., about 55,000 more women have strokes than men.
Many factors play into this statistic, but estrogen is a chief among them.

Women many not be aware of the effect estrogen has on stroke risk. They
might know that birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and pregnancy
raise risk, but they may not understand the underlying mechanism, which is
shifting estrogen levels. These changes in levels of estrogen, not that estrogen
itself, affect the substances in blood that cause clots. More activity results in more
clotting, and that can lead to a higher risk of stroke.

Osteoporosis

Nearly 80% of the estimated 10 million Americans who have osteoporosis

are female. Women start out with thinner, smaller bones and less bone tissue
than men. Through most of their lives, women’s bones are protected by estrogen,
which may block a substance that kills bone cells. However, when women begin
to lose estrogen during menopause, it causes loss of bone mass (osteoporosis).
This loss takes a toll: Nearly 50 percent of women over 50 will break a bone
because of osteoporosis.
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Cataract and Other Eye Diseases

Cataracts happen when certain proteins in the lens form into abnormal
clumps. These clumps gradually enlarge and interfere with vision by distorting or
blocking the passage of light through the lens (hopkinsmedicine.org).

A study by PreventBlindness.org found that women are more likely than

men to develop glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, vision impairment
and blindness. Interestingly, most women do not know that they are more at risk
than men. If they did, women would probably be more likely to seek preventative
care (yoursightmatters.com).

Breast Cancer

Just being a woman is the biggest risk factor for developing breast cancer.
There are about 266,120 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 63,960 cases
of non-invasive breast cancer this year in American women. While men do
develop breast cancer, less than 1% of all new breast cancer cases happen in
men. Approximately 2,550 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in American
men this year.

The biggest reasons for the difference in breast cancer rates between men
and women are:

 Women's breast development takes 3 to 4 years and is usually complete by

age 14. It's uncommon for men's breasts to fully form -- most of the male
breasts you see are fat, not formed glands.
 Once fully formed, breast cells are very immature and highly active until a
woman's first full-term pregnancy. While they are immature, a women's breast
cells are very responsive to estrogen and other hormones, including hormone
disrupters in the environment.
 Men's breast cells are inactive and most men have extremely low levels of
estrogen.

So hormonal stimulation of highly responsive and vulnerable breast cells in

women, particularly during the extra-sensitive period of breast development, is
why breast cancer is much more common in women than in men
(breastcancer.org).

Cervical Cancer (source: who.int)

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 Cervical cancer develops in a woman's cervix (the entrance to the uterus
from the vagina). Its primary cause is the infection with high-risk human
papillomaviruses (HPV).

Cervical cancer is caused by sexually acquired infection with certain types

of human papillomavirus (HPV). Although most infections with HPV resolve
spontaneously and cause no symptoms, persistent infection can cause cervical
cancer in women. Virtually all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to genital
infection with HPV and it is the most common viral infection of the reproductive
tract. HPV can also cause other types of anogenital cancer, head and neck
cancers, and genital warts in both men and women. HPV infections are
transmitted through sexual contact.

The HPV vaccine and the screening and treatment of precancerous lesions
can prevent cervical cancer.

B. Men

Numerous male health risks can be traced back to behavior: In general,

men engage in behaviors that lead to higher rate of injury and disease. They also
tend to eat less healthful diets. However, anatomy, hormones and genes also
play roles in men’s increased risk for these disease

Cardiovascular Disease

Among men age 65 and over, more than 39% have heart disease,
compared to about 27 % of women in the same group.

Why? While women’s bodies tend to be pear-shaped, men’s bodies are

generally apple-shaped. When women gain weight, it often lands on the hips and
thighs. Men almost always put weight on around the middle and we know this
type of body fat, known as visceral, is a heart disease risk factor that many
women simply don’t share.

Also, men don’t have the protection of estrogen. Estrogen may keep
women’s cholesterol levels in check, reducing a key heart disease risk factor.
However, once women hit menopause, their heart disease risk goes up.

Parkinson’s Disease.

This disabling neurological disease affects about 50 % more men than

women. Researchers suggest that this may also have to do with estrogen, which
protects neurological function by activating certain proteins or interacting with

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molecules called free radicals. Men’s relative lack of estrogen leaves them with
less protection.

Diabetes (source: from medicinenet.com)

Men who have type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to have low
testosterone (low-T) than men who do not have diabetes. Because of the low
levels of the hormone testosterone, men with diabetes can have unhealthy
symptoms that are not seen in women with diabetes.

Low testosterone can cause decreased sex drive, depression, lack of

energy, and reduced muscle mass. It can also cause male-specific sexual
problems and urological problems.

Erectile dysfunction (ED, impotence), or inability to get or maintain an

erection, is a common symptom of diabetes in men. Diabetic men
experience erectile dysfunction at earlier ages than men who do not have
diabetes.

Prostate Cancer (source: cancer.org)

Researchers do not know exactly what causes prostate cancer. But they
have found some risk factors and are trying to learn just how these factors might
cause prostate cells to become cancer cells.
On a basic level, prostate cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of a normal
prostate cell. DNA is the chemical in our cells that makes up our genes, which
control how our cells function. We usually look like our parents because they are
the source of our DNA. But DNA affects more than just how we look.

Some genes control when our cells grow, divide into new cells, and die:

 Certain genes that help cells grow, divide, and stay alive are
called oncogenes.
 Genes that normally keep cell growth under control, repair mistakes in
DNA, or cause cells to die at the right time are called tumor suppressor
genes.

Cancer can be caused by DNA mutations (or other types of changes) that
keep oncogenes turned on, or that turn off tumor suppressor genes. These types
of gene changes can lead to cells growing out of control.
DNA changes can either be inherited from a parent or can be acquired during a
person’s lifetime.

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 Given all the information about the effect of your gender to your health, I know
that many of you now realize that gender indeed has a vital role in the
development of our human body.

Time Out 1
Apply

1. Women and men are vulnerable for certain kinds of ailments. Because of
their biological make-up, they have diseases distinct to their being a female
or a male, meaning, they have different health needs. Choose 2 ailments
for each sex group and discuss what each of the sexes need in order to
address the ailment.

Female Male

Mental Health

Mental Health is the level of psychological well-being or an absence of

mental illness. It is the state of someone who is “functional at a satisfactory level
of emotional and behavioral adjustment. It is a state of well-being in which an
individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of
life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her
community. Being healthy emotionally can promote productiveness in activities
like work, school or caregiving. It also helps determine how we handle stress,

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relate tom others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of
life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems,
your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to
mental health problems including: biological factors, such as genes or brain
chemistry, Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse and family history of mental
health problems.

Here are some of the ways in promoting and maintaining positive mental
health.

Positive mental health allows people to: Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

1. Make meaningful contributions to their 1. Getting professional help if you need it

communities 2. Connecting with others
2. Cope with the stresses of life 3. Staying positive
3. Work productively 4. Getting physically active
4. Realize their full potential 5. Helping others
6. Getting enough sleep
7. Developing coping skills

You may be wondering how gender is linked to mental health. The

following paragraphs will clear that to you.

Gender is a critical determinant of mental health and mental illness. The

morbidity associated with mental illness has received substantially more attention
than the gender specific determinants and mechanisms that promote and protect
mental health and foster resilience to stress and adversity. It determines the
differential power and control men and women have over the socioeconomic
determinants of their mental health and lives, their social position, status and
treatment in society and their susceptibility and exposure to specific mental health
risks.

Gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common mental

disorders - depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. These disorders, in which
women predominate, affect approximately 1 in 3 people in the community and
constitute a serious public health problem. Unipolar depression, predicted to be
the second leading cause of global disability burden by 2020, is twice as common
in women. Depression is not only the most common women's mental health
problem but may be more persistent in women than men. More research is
needed. Reducing the overrepresentation of women who are depressed would

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contribute significantly to lessening the global burden of disability caused by
psychological disorders.

The lifetime prevalence rate for alcohol dependence, another common

disorder, is more than twice as high in men than women. In developed countries,
approximately 1 in 5 men and 1 in 12 women develop alcohol dependence during
their lives. Men are also more than three times more likely to be diagnosed with
antisocial personality disorder than women. There are no marked gender
differences in the rates of severe mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder that affect less than 2% of the population.

Gender differences have been reported in age of onset of symptoms,

frequency of psychotic symptoms, course of these disorders, social adjustment
and long term outcome. The disability associated with mental illness falls most
heavily on those who experience three or more comorbid disorders. Again,
women predominate.

Gender specific risk factors

Depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms and high rates of comorbidity are

significantly related to interconnected and co-occur rent risk factors such as
gender based roles, stressors and negative life experiences and events. Gender
specific risk factors for common mental disorders that disproportionately affect
women include gender based violence, socioeconomic disadvantage, low income
and income inequality, low or subordinate social status and rank and unremitting
responsibility for the care of others. The high prevalence of sexual violence to
which women are exposed and the correspondingly high rate of Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) following such violence, renders women the largest
single group of people affected by this disorder.

The mental health impact of long term, cumulative psychosocial

adversity has not been adequately investigated. Restructuring has a gender
specific effect on mental health. Economic and social policies that cause sudden,
disruptive and severe changes to income, employment and social capital that
cannot be controlled or avoided, significantly increase gender inequality and the
rate of common mental disorders.

Gender bias occurs in the treatment of psychological disorders. Doctors

are more likely to diagnose depression in women compared with men, even when
they have similar scores on standardized measures of depression or present with
identical symptoms. Female gender is a significant predictor of being prescribed
mood altering psychotropic drugs. Gender differences exist in patterns of help
seeking for psychological disorder. Women are more likely to seek help from and
disclose mental health problems to their primary health care physician while men
are more likely to seek specialist mental health care and are the principal users of

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inpatient care. Men are more likely than women to disclose problems with alcohol
use to their health care provider.

Gender stereotypes regarding proneness to emotional problems in

women and alcohol problems in men, appear to reinforce social stigma and
constrain help seeking along stereotypical lines. They are a barrier to the
accurate identification and treatment of psychological disorder. Despite these
differences, most women and men experiencing emotional distress and /or
psychological disorder are neither identified or treated by their doctor.

Violence related mental health problems are also poorly identified.

Women are reluctant to disclose a history of violent victimization unless
physicians ask about it directly. The complexity of violence related health
outcomes increases when victimization is undetected and results in high and
costly rates of utilization of the health and mental health care system.

Reproductive Health

Reproductive health issues confront not only women but also men.
however, because of the reproductive role of the women, they are vulnerable to
be suffering from reproductive health issues. It is important that we know the
problems and risks associated with gender roles. On the part of the women, they
are blessed to bear a child and give birth and they should not suffer from health
issues resulting from this role.

Reproductive Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social

well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity in all matters related
to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes” (International
Conference on Population and Development, Cairo, Egypt, 1994).

Reproductive health implies that people are:

 Able to have a satisfying and safe sex life;
 Have the capability to reproduce;
 Have freedom to decide if when and how often to do so;

Women and men have a right to be informed and to have access to safe,
effective, affordable, and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice as
well as other methods of their choice for regulation of fertility which is not against
the law. They also have the right to access appropriate health care services that
will enable them to go safely throughout their lives from infancy to old age in
meeting their sexual and reproductive health choices and decisions.

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 As what we have previously discussed on reproductive health, it is also
important for you to be aware of the health issues and problems that all genders
are experiencing in our society. This way, we can be involved and take part in
suggesting ways on how to help solve these problems. For now, let us discuss
the definition of health.

The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete

physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity.” This definition, idealistic as it may look, is nowhere as relevant and
applicable as in the area of reproductive health. In the context of this positive
definition, reproductive health is a condition in which the reproductive process is
accomplished in a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and is
not merely the absence of disease or disorders of the reproductive process.

Reproductive Health Issues

Reproductive health implies that, apart from the absence of disease or

infirmity, people have the ability to reproduce, to regulate their fertility and to
practice and enjoy sexual relationships. In further implies that reproduction is
carried to a successful outcome through infant and child survival, growth and
healthy development. It finally implies that women can go safely through
pregnancy and childbirth, that fertility regulation can be achieved without health
hazards and that people are safe in having sex.

Reproductive health is an integrated package. Women cannot be healthy if

they have one element and miss another. Moreover, the various elements of
reproductive health are strongly interrelated. Improvements of one elements in
other elements. Similarly, lack of improvement in one element can hinder
progress in other elements.

I would like to also emphasize that the reproductive health concept is not
just limited to mothers nor it is limited to women of childbearing age. It also
recognizes the special health needs of adolescents and mature women, beyond
the childbearing period. Finally, the concept of reproductive health is not limited to
women. Men too have reproductive health needs, and responding to these needs
of men is also important to women.

These are all the reasons why we need to raise awareness of public health
laws that can play a vital role in advancing the right to health and in creating
conditions for people to live healthy lives. The right to health for all people means
that everyone should have an access to the health services they need, when and
where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. No one should get
sick and die just because they cannot access the health services they need. You
should also remember that the right to health must be enjoyed without
discrimination on the grounds of race, age, ethnicity, gender or any other
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statuses. It is also the obligation of the state to ensure access to timely,
acceptable, and affordable health care of appropriate quality as well as to
providing for the underlying determinants of health such as gender equality as
mentioned above.

In many settings worldwide, women face mistreatment during childbirth.

According to the authors of a new WHO-led systematic review published in the
journal PLOS Medicine, this can include physical, sexual and verbal abuse, a lack
of supportive care, neglect, discrimination and a denial of autonomy.
Health-care providers may be the perpetrators of this mistreatment, however
mistreatment may also result from a complex range of factors, including diverse
systematic failures within health facilities and throughout health systems. The
typology of women are mistreated during childbirth presented in this systematic
review based on a synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence from 65
studies conducted in 34 countries.

An estimated 289,000 maternal deaths occurred in 2010, of which 99%

occurred in low-and middle- income countries. Improving quality of care,
particularly around the time of childbirth, is crucial to reduce preventable deaths
and disabilities of women and infants. The review notes that mistreatment of
women during childbirth constitutes a violation of human rights to dignifies,
respectful sexual and reproductive health care, including during childbirth. We
must seek to find a process by which women and healthcare providers engage to
promote and protect women’s participation in safe and positive childbirth
experiences, including respecting a woman’s autonomy and dignify over her body
and her choices.

The United Nations has come up with suggestions and solutions on how to
improve women’s health. These are the following:

1. End preventable maternal mortality and morbidity

Increasingly UN treaty monitoring bodies, regional and

national courts have called upon States to provide comprehensive
sexual and reproductive health information and services to women
and adolescents. If they do not do so, State may not meet their
treaty and constitutional obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the
right to life, the right to non-discrimination, the right to the highest
attainable standard of health, and the rights to privacy,
confidentiality, information and education.

To end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and

decrease morbidities, the topmost priorities of a health agenda for a
sustainable future must include educating and empowering all
women and girls, gender equality, poverty reduction, universal
health coverage and access to comprehensive reproductive health
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 services, and equity within the overall context of a rights-based
approach to health and Health care. High and/or disproportionate
levels of maternal deaths and harms are linked to the lack of
comprehensive reproductive health services, unsafe abortion,
adolescent pregnancy, child and forced marriage and inadequate
access to contraceptives. The prevention of maternal mortality and
the provision of maternal health services, including the provision of
safe abortion services to the full extent of the law, is fundamental to
the achievement of health. WHO supports and leads in efforts to
understand the causes and context of maternal mortality and
morbidity through technical support, research, law and policy
reform, and awareness raising.

2. Ensure Comprehensive Sexuality Education.

Comprehensive sexuality education = healthy, empowered

future generations.

As they transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents

undergo a number of physical, psychological and social changes for
which they are often unprepared. They need knowledge and skills to
make well-informed choices about their lives, to avoid problems and
to deal with them effectively if they occur.

There is strong evidence that well-designed and well

delivered comprehensive sexuality education contributes to
improved knowledge and understanding, to positive attitudes and to
healthy sexual behaviors. There is no evidence that it contributed to
early, increased or more sexual risk taking.

States have an obligation under human rights law to provide

information and education to adolescents. CSE is part of the core
obligations of states to uphold the right to sexual and reproductive
health, which means that it is considered one of the basic minimum
action states must take to give meaning to this right. Based on the
evidence and the human rights rationale, WHO recommends the
provision of age-appropriate, scientifically-accurate comprehensive
sexuality education within and outside schools.

3. Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation

The term “female genital mutilation” (also called “female

genital cutting” and “female genital mutilation/cutting”) refers to all
procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female
genitalia or other injury to the female organs for non-medical
reasons. Female genital mutilation has no known health benefits

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 and is harmful to girls. Seen from a human rights perspectives, the
practice reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and
constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.
Female genital mutilation is nearly always carried out on minors and
is therefore a violation of the rights of the child. The practice also
violates the rights to health, security and physical integrity of the
person, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results
in death. In addition to violating these rights, health professionals
who perform female genital mutilation are also violating the
fundamental ethical principle: “do no harm”. An interagency
statement issued by WHO calls on all State, international and
national organizations, civil society and communities to uphold the
rights of girls and women. It also calls on those bodies and
communities to develop, strengthen, and support specific and
concrete actions directed towards ending female genital mutilation.

4. End violence against women

Violence against women is a major public health and human

right concern, with intimate partner violence and sexual violence the
most common forms of violence against women. They happen in
ALL countries across the world and have been called the most
pervasive violation of women’s human rights, affecting their rights to
freedom from discrimination, to life, to integrity and security of the
person, and to the highest attainable standard of health, among
others.

Under human rights treaties that governments have signed,

there is a responsibility to prevent. Investigate and punish all forms
of violence against women, including those that take place within
the home.

Health-care providers are in a unique position to create a

safe and confidential environment for facilitating disclosure of
violence, while offering appropriate support and referral to other
resources and services. National guidelines or protocols for the
health system should be developed that are consistent with
international human rights standards and WHO guidelines.

5. Stop child marriage

Child marriage is a widespread, harmful traditional practice.

Every year, about 12 million girls from around the world are married
before the age of 18. Ninety percent of births to adolescents aged
15-19 worldwide occur within marriage. Adolescent pregnancies and

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 childbearing are associated with a range of negative maternal health
outcomes, especially in younger adolescents. Adolescents married
before 18 have a higher risk of intimate partner violence. Child
marriage also has a negative effect on secondary school enrollment,
retention and completion, with lifelong consequences.

States have obligations under human rights law to prevent

and address harmful traditional practices such as child marriage.
States must adopt legislative measures to expressly prohibit these
practices, which are a form of gender-based violence, including
social measures, combined with other legal and policy measures,
including social measures. These measures must include social
measures must include attention to girls who have victims of child
marriage. WHO calls for complementary actions at the legal and
policy level, the family and community level (including increasing
educational opportunities), and at the individual level (informing and
empowering girls)

6. Ensure Contraceptive choice

Ensuring access to contraception is a fundamental part of

upholding human rights as well as contributing to improved health
outcomes, with direct benefits for individuals, families, communities
and wider society. The right of couples and individuals to decide
freely and responsively if, when and how many children to have
requires that contraceptive services be available, accessible,
acceptable and of good quality, and provided without discrimination.

There is increasingly momentum to ensure promotion and

protection of human rights in contraceptive services and programs.
Despite these efforts, human rights are often not explicitly integrated
into the design, implementation and monitoring of services. As a
result, the unmet need for contraception remains staggeringly high,
especially among vulnerable groups such as adolescent girls.

7. End Virginity Testing

“Virginity testing” has no scientific or clinical basis. There is

no examination that can prove a girl or woman has had sex and the
appearance of girl’s or women’s hymen cannot prove whether they
have had sexual intercourse, or are sexually active or not.

“Virginity testing” is a violation of the human rights of girls and

women, and can be detrimental to women’s and girl’s physical,
psychological and social well-being. The practice also reinforces

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 stereotyped notions of female sexually and gender inequality. The
examination can be painful, humiliating and traumatic. Given that
these procedures are unnecessary and potential harmful, WHO
supports putting an end to these practices, through law and policy
reform, awareness raising and technical support.

It is unethical for doctors or other health providers to undertake

them. Such procedures must never be carried out.

In many setting such tests are considered part of assessment

of survivors of rape. This is unnecessary, and can cause pain and
mimic the original act of sexual violence, exacerbating survivors’
sense of disempowerment and cause re-victimization. The result of
this unscientific test can impact upon judicial proceedings, often to
the detriment of victims and in favor of perpetrators, sometimes
resulting in perpetrators being acquitted.

In addition, women prisoners and those in detention facilities

are at heightened risk of abuse and mistreatment, including forced
virginity examinations. Virginity test on women prisoners are
common, intimidating and humiliating; they violate women’s right to
privacy and physical integrity, and further disempower them. When
performed on women arrested for protesting or other forms of
political activism, forced virginity examinations perpetuate a climate
of fear and intimidation that prevents women from exercising their
rights.

Time Out 2
Apply

Make a slogan about a specific reproductive health issue that you can
identify in your community. What would be the impact of this slogan to the
residents of your community?

The Reproductive Health Law

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 This time let us now have brief discussion about the Reproductive Health
(RH) Law in the Philippines. The law includes your rights that protects your
sexual and reproductive health. This guarantees universal access to methods of
contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care.

The RH Law has twelve (12) elements:

1. Family planning information and services

2. Maternal, infant and child health and nutrition, including breast feeding
3. Prevention of abortion and management of post-abortion complications
4. Adolescent and youth reproductive health guidance and counseling
5. Prevention and management of reproductive tract infections (RTIs),
HIV/AIDS and sexually transmittable infections(STIs)
6. Elimination of violence against women and children and other forms of
sexual and gender-based violence
7. Education and counselling on sexuality and reproductive health
8. Treatment of breast and reproductive tract cancers and other gynecologic
conditions and disorders
9. Male responsibility and involvement and men’s RH
10. Prevention, treatment and management of infertility and sexual dysfunction
11. RH education for the adolescents
12. Mental health aspect of reproductive health care

This law will improve public access to the reproductive health information
and services. This includes the free provision of family planning service and
commodities to the poor, marginalized and under-served. It will also improve the
maternal health care services of government by mandating all of its units to
ensure the availability of reproductive health care professionals and basic
emergency obstetric and new born care facilities.

The policy will also install a rights-based and age-appropriate

comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents aged 10-19. In addition, the
measure will ensure that the government will implement the Minimum Initial
Service Package (MISP) of reproductive health during humanitarian crisis. The
RH law will lead to future policies that will uplift the conditions of women and
children. It is one that will affect not only the conditions of Filipino women but also
similar advocacies around the world

Given the facts and importance of the RH Law, there are still a lot of
misconceptions and confusion specially in understanding sexual and reproductive
health and many of those are actually baseless and no scientific explanation.
Here are some of the examples.

1. Myth: Contraceptives are abortifacients, and the RH Law promotes

abortion.
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 Facts: Contraceptives such as pills, condoms and intrauterine devices
pregnancy and they actually work before pregnancy begins and do not
cause abortion. Pregnancy begins when the fertilized egg implants in the
lining of a woman’s uterus. Contraceptives work by inhibiting ovulation,
fertilization, or implantation, and will not work if a woman is already
pregnant. They do not disrupt pregnancy

2. Myth: Contraceptives are cancerous and hazardous to a woman’s

health.
Fact: Contraceptives are not cancerous. According to WebMD, doctors at
the Cancer Research Epidemiology Unit in Oxford University found that
oral contraceptive pills (OCP) actually cut women’s risk of ovarian cancer-
29% decrease for each five-year interval of oral contraceptive use. The
longer a woman uses the pill, the lower her risk of ovarian cancer.

3. Myth: Reproductive health issues are only for women.

Fact: This isn’t just a woman’s issue, as it has been historically framed; this
is an issue that affects people of all genders. Men are equally affected by
reproductive health issues such as conception, infertility, family planning,
and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They need to share the
responsibility with their partners.

4. Myth: The RH Law promotes sexual promiscuity.

Fact: A lot of people insist that learning about sex will promote sexual
promiscuity, but many studies from the west show that children who had
comprehensive sex education are more likely to delay sex than their peers
who had none. Sexual promiscuity is part of the false propaganda spread
against the RH Law. The RH Law simply sought to provide pro-bono
reproductive health services for indigent women and maximum health
insurance benefits for life-threatening reproductive health conditions.

5. Myth: You can’t get pregnant the first time you have sex or while on
your period.

Fact: It may seem like odds are in your favor, but there’s no reason to risk
it, according to ABC News’ Health section. As long as you are fertile and
ovulating, you are just as likely to get pregnant the first time you have sex
as any other time you do the deed. Sperm can live inside you for up to five
days. You could have sex towards the end of your menstrual bleeding and
then actually conceive 4-5 days later if you ovulate early. The probabilities
of getting pregnant while on your period are low, but it is still possible.

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6. Myth: Birth control pills will make you fat.

Fact: No clinical trial or comprehensive study has been able to prove a

correlation between oral contraceptives and weight gain. Birth control
affects women in different ways. Different types of pills have different
hormone concentration levels, so if a woman isn’t happy with her type of
pill, she should ask her doctor about trying other types with different
dosages.

7. Myth: You will not get pregnant if you exercise, jump up and down, or
douche your vaginal area after the act.

Fact: Sperm moves quickly. Even if you run a marathon after sex, it will not
make the sperm fall out of your vagina and keep you from getting
pregnant.

8. Myth: Only gay men get HIV

Fact: HIV, can pass between people of all genders and sexualities. If
you’re having sex without a condom and not taking Pre-Exposure
Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication and your sexual partner has HIV, there’s a
chance you could acquire HIV too. Anyone can get HIV. Use protection,
like a condom or PrEP, to prevent HIV infection. Remember that PrEP
alone will not protect you against other STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhoea or
syphilis. People with untreated HIV can still develop AIDS. This
assumption/myth is an example of DISCRIMINATION.

9. Myth: You can’t get Sexually Transmitted Infections if you don’t have
penetrative sex

Fact: STIs can spread from skin-to-skin contact and in bodily fluids. This
means you can catch STIs from having any type of sex, including
penetrative vaginal sex, but also from anal sex, oral sex, using your hands,
intimate skin contact and sharing sex toys. STIs can be passed on through
many types of sexual contact, so you need to use protection, like a
condom, and change it to a new one if you switch up your activity (say from
vaginal sex to oral sex). If you’ve been getting sexy with someone else,
you should have regular sexual health checks, at least once a year or more
often if you’ve had unprotected sex, and each time you change sexual
partner.

10. Myth: Pulling out is an effective birth control method when done
properly.

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Fact: This is to answer and clarify your argument above regarding this
issue. Coitus Interruptus or pulling out is defined as “sexual intercourse
that is deliberately interrupted by withdrawal of the penis from the vagina
prior to ejaculation.” [source: About.com Health] Even when done with
perfect timing, it has a higher failure rate compared to other forms of birth
control. WOMEN CAN STILL GET PREGNANT from a man’s PRE-CUM or
pre-ejaculatory fluid, while men who cannot control their orgasm can have
premature ejaculation. Pulling out also does not protect against STDs.

Assess

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Name ___________________________________ Score ______________
Section _________________________________ Date _______________

TEST I. ESSAY

1. Do gender roles of women and men contribute to their health issues? Explain.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. The LGBT community is also prone to mental health problems such as

depression and anxiety because of the stereotyping and discrimination that
they are experiencing in their community. As a student who have acquired the
understanding and knowledge about the facts of gender and mental health
how will you deal to an LGBT friend who are asking for your help/advice as
she is experiencing discrimination from his/her family and friends. Please
provide your answer inside the box.

Name ___________________________________ Score ______________

Section _________________________________ Date _______________

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3. The following is a list of factors that influence reproductive health issues
among women and men. From this list, which do you think is the one that has
the greatest impact or influence? Explain.

Education Poverty
Values Media
Family Government

______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

4. The Reproductive Health Law has gained so much criticisms. However, it is

now a law. What do you think would prevent Filipino people from observing
what the law says?

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

References

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World Health Organization. Gender and Women’s Mental Health.
https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en/

https://who.int/reproductivehealth/human-rights-day/en/

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/17-10-2018-united-nations-agencies-call-
for-ban-on-virginity-testing

https://www.cosmo.ph/health/health-report/10-myths-about-reproductive-health-
a667-20160106

https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/how-gender-affects-health

https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender

www.pcw.gov.ph

www.yoursightmatters.com

www.who.int

www.medicinenet.com

www.cancer.org

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