Philippine high court upholds law on birth control rights

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http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-philippines-court-birth-control-rights-20140408,0,3143196.story



Filipinos supporting the reproductive health law celebrate outside the Supreme Court in Baguio, north of Manila, after a ruling upholding the law, which guarantees free contraceptives at all government clinics and sex education in public schools.

Philippine high court upholds law on birth control rights
By Carol J. Williams
April 8, 2014, 5:58 p.m.

The Philippine Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a law guaranteeing access to birth control and sex education in a country that has high maternal mortality and ranks 53rd worldwide in total fertility rate.

Implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act, also known as the RH Law, had been on hold for the last year following challenges to it by the Roman Catholic Church and conservative politicians who questioned the law's constitutionality.

"The court unanimously held that the RH Law is not unconstitutional," high court spokesman Theodore Te told reporters in Baguio, where the ruling was issued.

The law requires government health centers to make contraceptives available free to any women requesting them and mandates age-appropriate sex education in public schools, according to an article in the Philippine Star. The Philippines has one of the lowest rates of healthcare spending in the world.

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