Considerations for a Comprehensive Sex Education Grounded in Catholic Social Thought for Reproductive Justice in the Philippines

The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 sought to improve access to reproductive healthcare for women, require comprehensive reproductive health education in schools across the Philippines, and grant universal and free access to contraceptives. However, this law was met with fierce opposition from the Catholic Church, to the detriment of the health of women and families. This chapter examines how to teach a comprehensive reproductive health education in alignment with principles from Catholic social thought. The paper outlines some considerations in teaching a comprehensive reproductive health education grounded in Catholic social thought: 1) The importance of connecting sexual ethics with Catholic social thought; 2) The need to critique and address the way women and family are understood in Philippine culture and how it is taught in Catholic religious education; and 3) The value of teaching moral decision-making and discernment in comprehensive reproductive health education, grounded in Catholic social thought.