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  • Title: The politics of prevention. Safe sex.
    Journal: Asiaweek; 1993 Mar 03; 19(9):40-1. PubMed ID: 12286333.
    Abstract:
    In the Philippines, preventing AIDS and promoting condom use means taking on the Roman Catholic Church, which asserts condom/AIDS promotion is a subterfuge for promoting the acceptability of condom use for contraception. The Catholic Bishops Conference believes the solution lies in the formation of "authentic sexual values." The Secretary of Health in the Philippines considers that all Filipinos must fight AIDS and dispassionately hands out condoms to everyone everywhere he goes. Secretary Flavier claims he is being "condomized without trial." There are 368 identified carriers of HIV infection of which 68 have AIDS. Other estimates are of 35,000 HIV-infected persons. A study commissioned by Kabalikat recently found that 30,000 men aged 18-45 years in Manila have 2 or more sexual partners and do not use condoms. Some find the controversy is really about Flavier's aggressive style. Senator Francisco Tatad considers Flavier a "moral pollutant," while Senator Ernesto Maceda sees Flavier as acting to drown out the Church's powerful voice. Meanwhile, the health secretary finds that the publicity encourages open discussion. Cardinal Jaime Sin has declared in a large public gathering that the enemies of the Filipino family must not be allowed to win. Birth control, according to Senator Tatad, is "oppressive to the moral and religious beliefs of the Catholic majority." There is a plan to include AIDS education in high schools, which the Senate is currently investigating because of the religious consequences. The health secretary's plan is to promote a higher standard of living though family planning for a small family size. The target is to reduce fertility rates from an average of 3.9/women of reproductive age to 3.2 and to increase contraceptive acceptors from 42.5% to 52%. An independent poll reports 76% practicing birth control. Family planning has been a policy for a while, but it lacked commitment and political will. The family planning campaign will be launched in rural areas where the control of the church is not as strong. The educational emphasis has been supported by local governments and private groups such as DKT which perform street plays, of which an example is given. The Church is being challenged to set up natural family planning clinics in every diocese.
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