Empowerment and Sexual Wellbeing: Exploring Gender and Religious Ideologies in the Perception, Intention and Use of Contraception among Young Filipino Women

Abstract

The Philippines passed its first comprehensive reproductive health law in 2012. The political tension between religious and women’s rights factions during this contentious debate exposed the influential role religion and gender ideology may play in young Filipino women’s decision to contracept. Guided by the reproductive justice and positive adolescent sexual wellbeing framework, and working in partnership a Philippine-based reproductive health organization, this three-paper dissertation examines the root causes behind the low contraceptive use among young Filipino women. Manuscript 1 (conceptual paper) examined the applicability of the reproductive justice framework using young Filipino women’s low contraceptive use as a case study. In Manuscript 2 (quantitative paper), descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted among a sample of 459 young Filipino women to determine the influence of religion and traditional beliefs about dating and marriage, on young Filipino women’s condom intention and condom use. Results indicate strong religiosity in this population. However, only the traditional belief of remaining a virgin until marriage proved to be predictive of condom intention and condom knowledge about HIV/AIDS prevention was found to be associated with condom use. Manuscript 3 (qualitative paper), examined the extent of sexual agency, religiosity, and gender beliefs in influencing the contraceptive decisions of 19 college-attending young Filipino women using focus groups. The salient societal issues affecting low contraceptive use in this population were also determined based on individual interviews among five reproductive health professionals. Study results demonstrate that young Filipino women contend with contradictory expectations of sexual agency and empowerment. Remaining a virgin until marriage continue to be highly valued as it is equated with self-respect. Reproductive health professionals noted the negative effect of religious and gender ideology as well as poverty and government corruption on young Filipino women’s contraceptive access and use. The three papers combined suggest that while young Filipino women appear to have a sense of agency and empowerment, they continue to value virginity and deem it as the only route to respectability, disregarding other forms of sexual expression outside of remaining a virgin. In this way, religious and gender ideologies interact limiting young Filipino women’s sexual choice and freedom.