We are in the 21st century, and Poland has been in the European Union for 20 years. Access to knowledge should not be a problem. And yet – Poland is in last place in the ranking of countries in terms of contraceptive use. The differences are significant, and there is only one explanation – lack of systemic education.
It's a Polish tradition. – Unimaginable in the 21st century in a civilized country with great aspirations – comments prof. Mirosław Wielgoś, national consultant in the field of perinatology.
Access is poor, knowledge is poor. This is another European ranking regarding contraception, in which Poland is at the bottom.
– Unfortunately, our percentage is the highest among all the countries surveyed, and there were a total of 15 of them – says Antonina Lewandowska from the FEDERA Foundation for Women and Family Planning.
Barriers to contraceptive use
Because most young people in Poland indicate that the barrier to using contraception is lack of knowledge, and 51 percent of young people in Poland use it. For comparison, in Spain this percentage is 69.
– In our country, no system based on access to modern knowledge has been introduced for at least 20 years – notes Dr. Andrzej Depko, national consultant in the field of sexology.
Hence, as is typical for countries with poor sexual education, young people obtain their knowledge mainly from the Internet. Some of them consider contraception a taboo, and they point to ineffective and dangerous intermittent intercourse as the third most popular method of contraception.
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– Interruptive intercourse is not contraception at all. Let's forget about such a thing – says prof. Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta, head of the Department of Women's Health and head of the Department of Reproductive Health and Sexology.
The main method of contraception among those who use it is the condom, some have heard of the pill. And that's it. Virtually zero knowledge about IUDs or implants, indicated by doctors as suitable for young women.
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– All over the world, long-term contraception, implanons, intrauterine systems – this is the contraception intended for the youngest group, it is safe and effective – points out Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta.
An idea for change
However, it is difficult to expect such solutions, since in Poland girls can have sex from the age of 15, and they must go to the gynecologist until the age of 18 with a parent. They even have to pay for the most ordinary pill.
– I would like it to be a discussion only about money at the moment, today we are still afraid of what the local parish priest will say – says Anita Kucharska-Dziedzic, MP of the New Left.
One of the main reasons why young people do not protect themselves is that they simply cannot afford it. The “Right to Contraception” coalition, composed of social organizations, doctors and doctors, follows the example of Western countries and advocates free contraception for young and low-income women.
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– Let's give her. We will have a secured society, girls will give birth to their children when they want, if they want to give birth at all – says Violetta Skrzypulec-Plinta.
The draft regulations on free contraception for young people were already submitted by Trzecia Droga in February. – The project ended up in the Health Committee and was frozen there – says Ewa Szymanowska, MP from Poland 2050-Third Way.
Main photo source: TVN24