Bayer Philippines, CPD and The FORUM ink agreement for World Contraception Day 2023

Taguig City, September 12, 2023 – Pregnancies among adolescents remain a persistent problem in the Philippines, despite a recorded fall in numbers. As revealed by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) through its 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), the proportion of women aged 15 to 19 years who have begun childbearing declined from 8.6% in 2017 to 5.4% in 2022. Nonetheless, data from registered births (i.e., civil registry and vital statistics) in 2020 and 2021 recorded an increasing number of livebirths among girls aged 10 to 14 years. Moreover, about 17% of the total births among 10 to 19 years old in 2020 (n=26,099) and 2021 (n=23,226) were cases of repeat pregnancies, or already the second birth and over. Factors contributing to the prevalence of adolescent pregnancies include lack of reproductive health information and services. This highlights the urgency to continue addressing the reproductive rights and empowerment of young people to make informed choices and decisions. This is also being emphasized by this year’s World Contraception Day theme “Your Life Your Choice,” which is endorsed by over a dozen international organizations with a common interest in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people worldwide. 3 page 1 / 4 “We’ve had a lot of progress over the years in increasing access to modern contraception,” says Angel-Michael Evangelista, Managing Director and Country Division Head of Pharmaceuticals, Bayer Philippines, “but we still need to continue providing young people with access to accurate, expert information on reproductive health and contraception. This is why we are partnering with the Commission on Population Development (CPD) and The FORUM to enable more young people to make their own informed decisions and choices.” “CPD recognizes and upholds the inherent rights of every Filipino to make informed decisions regarding family planning and contraception. This year’s WCD themes of ‘Your Life, Your Choice’ and locally: ‘Usap Tayo sa Family Planning,’ capture the essence of exercising those rights, which aim to ultimately benefit Filipino women and young girls into enjoying their full potential and capacities as contributors to the country’s human capital development,” emphasized CPD Executive Director Lisa Grace S. Bersales, Ph.D., who likewise serves as country’s undersecretary for population and development or POPDEV. Bersales pointed out that collaborations with allied partners such as Bayer Philippines, the FORUM and other similar-minded groups are crucial in enabling Filipinos to enjoy their rights to family planning and contraception. This was evident, she disclosed, in the most recent National Demographic and Health Survey in 2022 , where most Filipino married women 15 to 49 years old are using modern contraceptive methods at 41.8%, with the pill as the most preferred at 19.8%. “Alongside with reproductive health rights and choices, the young people remain to be an area of concern. We need to note that all adolescent pregnancies are high risk for complications and even dying” said Dr. Corazon Raymundo, the FORUM President. In the past seven years, while working with different organizations, Bayer and CPD included, The Forum has been actively engaging with the education and health sectors to advance adolescent reproductive health and support the implementation of comprehensive sexuality education. “Young people are an essential component of a sustainable future. However, without the necessary knowledge and the accompanying tools and services their path towards a healthy and fulfilled life can be hindered. We believe that it is our collective responsibility to ensure that young people have the means to exercise their rights and contribute to society on their own terms,” Dr. Raymundo added. Family planning programs have made a tremendous difference globally, 2 and many women are making informed choices about contraception. Compared to a decade ago, we have 87 million more women and girls in low- to medium-income communities are using modern methods of contraception. However, many of these women are still not choosing modern contraception due to numerous access barriers. These range from lack of awareness and affordability to limitations based on age or marital status, while shame, stigma, fear, poverty, gender inequality and many other factors undermine women and girls’ ability to exercise choice and to seek and obtain contraceptives. Persisting myths and misperceptions about modern contraception are also barriers to using contraceptives. Reducing the number of women who find themselves in this situation correlates with elevating economic growth, socio-economic development and promoting public health. It has therefore never been more important to enable women in LMICs to make informed contraceptive choices, by providing more development opportunities and aid schemes that can foster access to contraception. Champion for her informed choice Complementing the upcoming World Contraception Day, Bayer also launched Bayer For Her: Conversations of Care in the Philippines on August 30, 2023, opening an initial series of free pop- up consultation clinics over the next two months at selected partner drug stores to encourage more women seek out expert advice on reproductive health. These pop-up clinics aim to help create safe spaces for women to speak up and normalize conversations about their reproductive health concerns, address common misconceptions and the barriers why they do not consult with their doctors, and get the support they need. page 1 / 4 “Bayer For Her” was originally launched in Thailand and has since grown into a movement spanning across the region, covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. ‘Bayer For Her’ is a call to action for women in Asia to share #ConversationsofCare about their own health issues, ranging from contraception to endometriosis and menstrual pain or heavy menstrual bleeding, and talk to a healthcare professional about them. The social stigma women face at home and in the workplace often result in a lot of stress and shame. ‘Bayer For Her’ advocates for women to find their best avenues to reach out to healthcare professionals, friends and family and not suffer in silence. ### About World Contraception Day The World Contraception Day (WCD) taking place every year on September 26 th raises special awareness among adolescents and youth regarding sexual and reproductive health. Providing young people access to scientifically accurate and non-judgmental information about a range of contraceptive methods, their pros and cons, and related sexual health topics encourages them to take control over their reproductive and sexual lives and helps them make informed choices. Since its global launch in 2007, there are over a dozen international partners supporting WCD, with Bayer being there from the early start. The partners are dedicated to increasing access to and availability of family planning services and education. They have united to create and enhance awareness and also to underline the importance of empowering young people to learn about sexual and reproductive health as well as to talk boldly about it with their healthcare providers and partners. Together, the partners are calling on governments and decision-makers, encouraging them to also promote the subject at the political level. About “Your Life” “Your Life” is a global campaign directed at young people and pursues the vision of a world where every pregnancy is wanted. The annual highlight of the ongoing activities is World Contraception Day when, each year, a different theme explores a key focus area in the efforts to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights of young people worldwide. 14 The campaign is sponsored by Bayer. The Your Life website (www.your-life.com) provides young people with accurate and unbiased information on contraception. The content is presented in a straightforward, interactive, and relatable way, without judgment or lectures. It seeks to address the needs and questions of a young audience, counter common myths and provide guidance and preparation for a well-informed discussion on contraceptive methods with a healthcare professional. The online presence is complemented by the Your Life social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter/X as well as the YOURLA chatbot.