Attitudes of Filipino Catholics toward Contraceptive Use in Relation to Religiosity

Abstract

The Catholic community, including that of the Philippines’, is currently experiencing many changes in their thinking and beliefs, regardless of teachings imposed by the Catholic Church. This will add to current data particularly on their attitudes toward contraceptive use. This study aimed to determine how Filipino Catholics perceive contraceptive use in relation to their religiosity. It is a quantitative non-parametric study. The study population criteria included Filipino Catholics, aged 18 and above, and living in Metro Manila. The respondents were chosen through convenient and purposive sampling. The objectives were to (1) determine female and male Filipino Catholics’ religiosity based on religious acts, (2) determine if there is a difference between female and male Filipino Catholics’ attitudes on contraceptive use, (3) determine if there is an association between sociodemographic profile and attitudes on contraceptive use, and (4) determine if there is a significant relationship between attitudes and religiosity toward contraceptive use. The findings showed that there were significant differences between females’ and males’ religiosity and their attitudes on contraceptive use. Also, sociodemographic profile showed no significant association with the respondents’ attitudes on contraceptive use. Lastly, it showed that religiosity affects the attitudes on contraceptive use in that those who perform more religious acts tend to hold a more positive attitude on contraceptive use. It is contrary to the framework that the more religious a person is, the more negative that person’s view is on contraception.