affirmative action. It entails fairness and justice in the distribution of benefits and
responsibilities between women and men, and often requires women-specific projects and
programs to end existing inequalities. This concept recognizes that while reproductive health
involves women and men, it is more critical for women’s health.
(i) Male responsibility refers to the involvement, commitment, accountability and
responsibility of males in all areas of sexual health and reproductive health, as well as the
care of reproductive health concerns specific to men.
(j) Maternal death review refers to a qualitative and in-depth study of the causes of maternal
death with the primary purpose of preventing future deaths through changes or additions to
programs, plans and policies.
(k) Maternal health refers to the health of a woman of reproductive age including, but not
limited to, during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.
(l) Modern methods of family planning refers to safe, effective, non-abortifacient and legal
methods, whether natural or artificial, that are registered with the FDA, to plan pregnancy.
(m) Natural family planning refers to a variety of methods used to plan or prevent pregnancy
based on identifying the woman’s fertile days.
(n) Public health care service provider refers to: (1) public health care institution, which is
duly licensed and accredited and devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of
facilities for health promotion, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care of
individuals suffering from illness, disease, injury, disability or deformity, or in need of
obstetrical or other medical and nursing care; (2) public health care professional, who is a
doctor of medicine, a nurse or a midwife; (3) public health worker engaged in the delivery of
health care services; or (4) barangay health worker who has undergone training programs
under any accredited government and NGO and who voluntarily renders primarily health
care services in the community after having been accredited to function as such by the local
health board in accordance with the guideline’s promulgated by the Department of Health
(DOH).
(o) Poor refers to members of households identified as poor through the NHTS-PR by the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or any subsequent system used by
the national government in identifying the poor.
(p) Reproductive Health (RH) refers to the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the
reproductive system and to its functions and processes. This implies that people are able to
have a responsible, safe, consensual and satisfying sex life, that they have the capability to
reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to do so. This further implies
that women and men attain equal relationships in matters related to sexual relations and
reproduction.
(q) Reproductive health care refers to the access to a full range of methods, facilities,
services and supplies that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by addressing
reproductive health-related problems. It also includes sexual health, the purpose of which is
the enhancement of life and personal relations. The elements of reproductive health care
include the following: