Ben Madilynn
THE City Health Office’s (CHO) Population Division is urging Dabawenyos anew to consult professionals before choosing a family planning method to ensure that they receive the proper services.
Jerrielyn Lewis, Head of the Population Division and CHO’s Contraceptive Program Manager said it is important to reach out to professionals before choosing a family planning method to avoid complications.
“Mas maayo g’yud muduol ta sa health professionals ug didto ta mangutana para mahan-ay pud unsa ang mga available (It is better to reach out to health professionals for our questions concerning family planning so that they can also guide us on the available methods),” Lewis said in an interview with the Health Alert over the city-owned Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR).
“Siyempre i-consider man nato unsa’y panginahanglanon sa lawas (In choosing a family planning method, we also need to consider the needs of the body),” she added.
Population officers, doctors, nurses, and midwives are in various CHO district health centers to cater to clients on their family planning needs. Consultations with these professionals are free and can be availed by all Dabawenyos.
Lewis also said that the CHO offers two types of family planning methods: temporary family planning methods and permanent.
For temporary family planning methods, contraceptives such as pills, condoms, and subdermal implants are available for free in health centers.
Depending on how the body responds to the contraceptive, women have more choices so that they are not limited to a single option.
Lewis also emphasized the role of men in reproductive health. She said that the population division is advocating for active male participation in family planning.
Other family planning methods offered by the CHO include the Bilateral Tubal Ligation (BTL) for women, and the No-Scalpel Vasectomy (NSV) for men. Both methods are permanent and done by tying the fallopian tubes (for women) and the vas deferens (for men).
Lewis said that both BTL and NSV affect neither the strength of the person nor their desire to have sexual activity.
There are also natural family planning methods offered by the CHO. Lewis said that instead of the calendar method, modern family planning offers what they refer to as the “Rosaryo sa Gugma” wherein a beaded instrument is used to track fertility.
The CHO’s Population Division continues to conduct lectures on responsible parenthood and the importance of proper family planning in different districts especially in the GIDAs.
Dabawenyos may avail of the various family planning methods including consultations with health workers in the district health offices for free. CIO
