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By Ana Santos Contributor
“All members are invited
to avail of a free reproductive health consultation with Dr. Joy
Lopez*, licensed OB-GYNE, at the booth,” announced the public
address system. I thought, “A reproductive health consultation, at
the gym?” This I had
to see.
True enough, there outside the
studio was a doctor from one of the larger hospitals in a white lab
coat seated at a Frenzy condoms booth, waiting for gym members to
drop by.
Questions immediately came to
mind: the efficacy of the condom and birth control pills, the proper
use of a condom and how I could tell if I had an sexually
transmitted diseases.
To answer each of my questions,
the doctor immediately went into a comprehensive, matter-of-fact
explanation: When a condom should be put on and how it should be
taken off, (clarifying that the condom should be put on before any
penetration takes place), why it is a good idea to still use a
condom even while on the pill—if I was unsure about my health and
that of your partner’s or if I had multiple partners, and what
tests to take to check if I had contracted an STD.
The doctor didn’t flinch, wince
or show any signs of squeamishness as she was giving me this
information. She did ask me one question, though: “How old are
you?”
I waited for additional
questions: expecting her to ask me if I was still a virgin, if I had
multiple sex partners or if I was homosexual, but she didn’t.
The doctor just needed to know
how old I was to determine what tests were mandatory for my age
group. Our session ended with her giving me a free sample of condoms
and my signing off on receiving the sachets.
I still remember a time when my
friends and I would hesitate to consult an obstetrician about
anything not related to childbirth. I had one friend who listed
herself under an alias when consulting with an OB because she was
too embarrassed to consult as “herself.” Another friend,
deliberately chose another OB (not her regular doctor) to consult
when she experienced pain in her intimate area after a particularly
vigorous roll in the hay with a boyfriend. At the doctor’s office,
she checked “Married” in her patient’s form even though she
wasn’t, and still denied that any sexual activity had taken place
prior to the bleeding.
For these women and many others,
a visit to the OB was tantamount to an embarrassing interrogation
that would require them to divulge details about their private life
and hygiene habits. There was also the fear of asking questions that
would give any indication of their sexual activity. And of course,
worry about what the OB would think as she noted these details on
your chart. The OB may not even have to say anything, a look and a
meaningful silence would be enough to say that you were a loose
woman.
To be completely fair, it is
unlikely that any doctor would actually do this, but such is the
paranoia and pressure that most women feel about consulting their
OB. It is enough to make some women risk getting a misdiagnosis
rather than having a tarnished reputation.
However, more and more Filipinos
start having sex at a much younger age, rather than hiding behind a
lace fan and giggling demurely, (or arguing about it in the highest
levels of church and government) sex and reproductive health should
be discussed in an open, adult and responsible manner.
In response to this heightened
sexual activity among Filipinos, which largely characterized by
unprotected sex, the free reproductive health consultation booth
(supported by Frenzy Condoms and DKT Philippines) is making its
rounds in malls, in bars and in call centers—giving out pamphlets
and handing out free condoms. Using a highly segmentized approach
that is specific to the audience of a particular venue, this
outreach program aims to responsibly educate and effectively
increase awareness for reproductive health issues.
Speaking as a woman, it is about
time that we be given access to information that allows us to make
educated decisions and exercise some sort of control when it comes
to our body. We need to be given the freedom to ask questions
that will allow us to protect ourselves from STDs; we should be
given the liberty to properly plan pregnancies. While abstinence and
natural family planning methods are options, they should not be the
only ones. We need to know what all our options are—as only then
can we decide what is best for us.
We women are equally responsible
for our reproductive health and need to have choices. A choice as to
when to have children, a choice as to how to protect ourselves
regardless of our sexual orientation, level of sexual activity in
the past or the present.
And if that choice comes in the
form of a tiny prophylactic in various colors and flavors wrapped in
a sachet—why shouldn’t we take it?
Hey, if we can’t be good, we
can at least be safe.
*Name has been changed.
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