Results of 2006 family planning survey bared

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
December 6, 2007

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Only four out of nine currently married women 15-49 years old in Samar practice family planning; 26.4 % use modern methods.

Compared to the regional data; some five out of ten currently married women 15-49 years old practice family planning; 31% use modern methods.

These were some of the revelations by the National Statistics Office given to the line agencies in the province of Samar during the 2006 Family Planning Survey, Provincial Data Dissemination on December 4, 2007 at the Waling-waling Inn, Catbalogan City.

To compare, it seems that not even half of Samar women practice family planning, as compared to the whole region that posted at 50% which is similar to the data nationwide.

The survey further revealed that nationwide, there was a slight increase in the number of those who practice family planning; from 49.3% to 50.6% while data in the region showed that from 49.4 % slightly to 49.8% only and in Samar it was only 40%.

The survey involved some 2,132 women actually interviewed using the Stratified three stage cluster sampling design.

The pill also remains the leading contraceptive method in Eastern Visayas with 13.8%; second highest method was withdrawal at 9.9 % calendar /rhythm /periodic abstinence at 8.3%; ligation at 8.1% IUD at 5.3 %male condom at 1.2% while some other methods registered 1.3%.

As to socio-economic status, some 56.1 “non-poor” use any method while only 43.9% “poor” employ any method.

By ‘poor’ means the respondent lacks amenities like TV, refrigerator and other appliances while ‘non-poor’ posses at least two or three appliances/ amenities as explained by an NSO officer.

It is also noteworthy that the number of children per woman is decreasing with some 3.7% as the total fertility rate in region 8.

As to age, in the region, some 6.5% of women 15-19 years of age have begun child bearing. No data of this exists in Samar province.