This chapter focuses on the strategies women used to prevent pregnancy. Women as a collective

local pharmacies to buy other brands of pills and other contraceptive supplies, thereby increasing

11 Because the study sample was chosen from clinical records, It may not represent the entire range of strategies used

Feminal, that is a good pill; I didn't grow so thin. "'

periodic abstinence, and LAM were mentioned by some couples, several of whom said they had

addition to the four temporary methods distributed through the government health clinics, a

them to discontinue a method at one point in their reproductive career. Women who lived apart

Withdrawal was the most common, used either as an initial method or as a temporary method

Trust Pill for P13 to P22. Diffun pharmacies had six different brands of low-dose contraceptive

used the "natural" methods very effectively to prevent pregnancy over a period of years.

better life for [or spacing between] my children," "it was convenient and popular," or "the

methods. Several women, however, said that lack of supplies or the distance to the clinic caused

before switching to another pharmaceutical method. Some participants said that they had used

widely and ranged in price from P13 to P360, including the popular Femenal for P80 to P97 and

their method choices. At least two kinds of alternative lowdose oral contraceptive pills are sold

selling the supplies.

significant number of participants said they used other methods. For example, withdrawal,

including the syringe, and a variety of brands of condoms. Some women found these pills of

contraceptive method, whether obtained at a government or private clinic or a pharmacy, most of

the time, it was done to counteract or prevent the potential health consequences of using the

gave general answers. For example, "I heard it was good from a friend," "I wanted to provide a

doctor recommended it." The reasons given for stopping the method were nearly always related

pills available. In addition, these pharmacies sold Depo-Provera contraceptive injections,

when the medications are sold nor do they always ask women whether they are married before

When asked why they chose their first pharmaceutical method of contraception, women often

other locations in the Philippines or overseas, said they would stop using their method when

used all of the methods available to them in their local setting to prevent pregnancy. 11 In

higher quality for example, Morie said,

The pharmacists generally said that they do not counsel women on side effects in the pharmacy

to the side effects experienced by the woman.

from their husband either because they or then: husband worked for extended periods either in

"But there were times that I have to buy so I can have pills which are of better quality...

When women who did not wish to become pregnant stopped using a pharmaceutical

living apart from then: husband. They were vulnerable to pregnancy either because they

in the community but rather those of women who rely, at least in part, on government family plann