In Vietnam,
women’s attitudes, knowledge and/or beliefs keep them from making independent
decisions on contraception use and/or having an abortion. The family planning
program in Vietnam began as unofficial program in 1963. In 1988 it was further
reinforced to emphasize solely on a two-child per couple policy with 3 to 5
years of spacing. The family planning program targeted only married women. As
if that was not bad enough, the program also did not include family planning
services or information for women who were interested in knowing how to use oral
pills or education on immediate or long term side effects. Women were made uncomfortable
in freely buying condoms because society viewed them as having casual sexual
relations. Many women then and now as a result opt for traditional methods of
birth control even though they are unreliable in preventing unwanted
pregnancies. Family planning policy makers believed the intrauterine device
(IUD) was the most effective way and encouraged IUD usage. Therefore, IUD is
most common method of family planning in Vietnam. Other methods of family
planning such as condoms, pills and injections were given less attention hence
not commonly used. Abortion is legal in Vietnam if provided through public or
qualified private facilities under a Decree that enabled privatization of the
health sector in 1989. However it is suspected that many illegal abortions were
delivered. Between 1982 to 1994 induced abortions rose leading Vietnam to be a
country that has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. Each year approximately
500,000 abortions were reported in the public sector and another one-third to
one-half as many were reported in small health clinics which are suspected of
contributing high women’s death rates. (Nguyen & Budiharsana, 2012)
Limited
contraceptive choices, improper use of modern contraceptives and reliance on
the withdrawal method or periodic abstinence contribute to a situation where
women do not have access to reliable family planning methods. Lack of
counselling and comprehensive information on available contraception use is
associated with abortion rates. (Nguyen & Budiharsana, 2012) Contraception
use and education on family planning should be open for every woman regardless of their marital status. I believe women should be
free to decide whether or when to have children. Unfortunately, it is not the
case for most women especially those who live in low-income countries. Lack of access to family planning has
been an ongoing problem. The only way to resolve this issue
is by educating both women and men about family planning and it's benefits. Hopefully one day
all women will make their own decisions on family planning without being
stigmatized by society.
References
Nguyen, H. U., & Budiharsana, P. M. (2012). Receiving
voluntary planning services has no relationship with paradoxical situation of high
use of contraceptives and abortion in Vietnam: a cross-sectional study. BMC Women’s Health. 12(14), 1-9. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2225/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=cc9378d3-e919-4b47-9aa3-1e9edca031f3%40sessionmgr198&vid=24&hid=103
