| Abstract: | In this interview, deputy executive director Ester B. Sy-Quimsiam of the Commission on Population talks on Depo-Provera, the latest method officially accepted by the Philippine Population Program. Medically, Depo has been proven to be safe, effective, long-acting, and reversible. A single dose of this drug can prevent a woman from pregnancy for 3 months. In clinics where the nurse or the midwife is trained in comprehensive family planning technology the drug will be introduced. Clinics in areas where prevalence of the more effective method is low must be targeted. Managers, supervisors, trainers of service providers, and fieldworkers will be trained to implement the information and education campaign and generate demand among married couples of reproductive age who are most eligible for Depo. Family planning services will continue to be subsidized by the program, but the cost of contraceptive supplies will be shared by the user. But there will still be subsidized supplies for those who cannot afford them. Service providers must be well informed; they must not only at the contraceptive, they must also consider a prospective client as a total person. |
