Making Sex Shameful - Yes; Respect for Life - Not so much!

Rise in births, abortion in Philippines feared with phase-out of US birth control program
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines: The Philippine government is unprepared for the phase-out of a contraceptive donation program by the United States, which could mean high population growth, maternal deaths, and abortion, family planning advocates said Tuesday.

The U.S. Agency for International Development began phasing out its 30-year program to donate condoms, birth control pills and injectibles in 2003 and will complete it next year.

About 473,000 abortions, or a third of 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies, occur in the country yearly, said Rena Dona, a U.N. Population Fund official.

Two out of five women who want to use contraceptives don't have access to them, Dona told a forum on family planning.

A U.N. study showed the country needs about US$2 million (euro1.47 million) for contraceptives yearly from 2007 to 2010 to provide them free or at subsized prices to the poor. More ...