#claim1

A black leather box had been left in the bathroom counter with a delicate envelope containing a note written with a quill in her elegant handwriting. The box held the collar he would be forced to wear by the laws of the city.

Janathan,

As per your indications and favored design I have commissioned this piece for you in France. I shall trust to hope that its look will alleviate the burden of its meaning upon you. Ken that within this house, while alone, I shall never ask of you to wear it.

Utmost gratitude for having entrusted in me its making.

In the United States, religion doesn’t necessarily have an overwhelming power.  However, religion is still present in the United States and sometimes holds an influence and has proven to shape family life.  In the recent years, many individuals describe their religious affiliations as purely individualistic rather than institutional.  Religion holds personal meaning to them rather than something public, like in the Philippines.  This gives the opportunity for a more open lifestyle, rather than being traditionally religious.  In the Philippines, many look towards the church.  In the United States, many rely on on their autonomy and individual beliefs.  This has allowed people to live a more diverse lifestyle instead of following the church’s ideal life.

Some claim that the use of contraception also weakened the church’s power.  Correlations between fertility decline and church authority decline have shown in many European states.  Because the United States doesn’t stick to the fundamentals of religion as much as they do in the Philippines, they are able to be more accepting of things such as divorce or the use of contraceptives.  In the United States, I’d go as far to say that religion and family structure intersect and influence one another.  The discussions of divorce, remarriage, and contraception are some examples of some topics that have been modifying the traditional roles and policies of churches.

For example, the distribution of contraceptives was locally banned in many areas, including the capital, Manila.  Of course, contraceptives were still offered in many clinics and shops; however, the fact that many of these women who are pregnant are often poor.  Contraceptives, abortion, even hospital space--these are all luxuries that many Filipino women do not receive because of their miserable positions and lack of wealth.  Though there are signs of improvement over the last few years, the Philippines’ law on abortion proves itself to be one of the strictest.  Abortion is illegal.  It is considered a criminal offense in the Philippines, resulting in six years of prison time for doctors and midwives who assist in the “crime”, as well as two to six years for the women undergoing the abortion.  

Many of those who do undergo abortions are Filipino women, married, with at least a high school education.  Their reasoning for abortion is the lack of necessary funds to raise a child or another child.  Nearly one-third of women who do go through with the abortion do not even tell anyone about it, due to the heavy stigma placed on the act.  Because abortion is so heavily stigmatized, the act is generally unsafe.  Nearly one thousand maternal deaths in 2008 tie back to abortion issues.  The maternal mortality rate in the Philippines increased from 161 to 221 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2006 and 2011.  Abortion is one of the top ten causes for hospitalization, as dictated by research performed in 2010.  

Postabortion care is another large issue.  Cost often gets in the way of proper medical treatment, and some women even leave the hospital early to avoid paying a larger fee.  The stigma of abortion also proves to be another obstacle; women refuse to seek help because they fear being shamed by healthcare workers and some are even rejected.  However, this does not only affect the country physically, but socially and economically as well.  Since abortion is illegal, it is expected that the price for a proper and safe procedure is incredulous and out of reach for many Filipino women.  Because of this, they must resort to unsafe methods.  This can affect both women and the health care system.  Both are losing money as a result.  In addition to this, it can be viewed as “a waste of time.”  Though I dislike this argument, it has some truth to it.  Refusal to give the proper procedure of abortion only makes the road to recovery longer.  The time lost recovering could be spent “contributing to society.” (You can see why this argument is controversial since it is indirectly stating that women getting abortions is a waste of time.  Something similar to it at least.  Maybe I’m reading way too into it.)

There are actions that can be taken to lead to a better system.  Educating the public about modern contraceptives, teaching healthcare workers the proper procedure to the postabortion process, and removing abortion’s stigma as a whole are the first steps to it.  In addition to this, there needs to be further examination on the effect of the ban on abortion.  How far are we willing to listen to religion when we’re sacrificing the health and safety of women?

Main sources: x, x