Married women in Zamboanga prefer pills

PILL, a contraceptive taken orally, is the most preferred birth control method among married women whose ages range from 15 to 49 years old in the Zamboanga Peninsula area.

The 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that 18.6 percent of the 15 to 49 years old married women preferred to take pill.

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The NDHS showed that rhythm ranked second at 8.6 percent, withdrawal at 5.4 percent, female sterilization at 4.2 percent, intrauterine device (IUD) with 3.1 percent, injectables at 1.4 percent, and condom at 1.3 percent.

This, as the 2008 NDHS showed that the overall contraceptive prevalence rate among the currently married women aged 15 to 49 in the region is higher by .7 percent compared to that in 2003.

The contraceptive prevalence in 2008 among married women in Zamboanga Peninsula was at 43.8 percent, while that in 2003 was at 43.1 percent, based on the data released by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

The NSCB also noted that among the married women in the region during the latest survey, 28.6 percent used modern contraceptive methods, 15.2 percent used traditional methods, and 56.2 percent did not use any method at all.

The NSCB said the contraceptive prevalence rate is one of the most widely used indicators to assess the progress of a national family planning program.

The contraceptive prevalence rate is defined as the proportion of married women age 15 to 9 who used some methods of family planning at the date of survey.

The public and private sector each provide about half of the family planning methods.

The public sector is most likely to provide female sterilization, IUDs and injectables, while private sources provide mostly pills and condoms. (Bong Garcia)