‘Ask Mara’: This chatbot can give you the talk on contraception your parents are too strict to have

Women have all the right to decide on how they should take charge of their bodies — from the clothes they wear to the amount of makeup they put, but most especially when it comes to their reproductive health decisions. While the latter part is still taboo in the Philippines, it’s important to know that there’s a safe place for Filipinas to turn to.

If you don’t happen to have an older sister (or anyone at all) to walk you through the birds and the bees talk, then Ask Mara can be your go-to-gal and give you easy access to the right information. Back in 2019, pharmaceutical company Bayer Philippines created this chatbot accessible via Facebook Messenger that provides answers to women’s questions on contraception and other RH-related topics.

Since its launch, the chatbot has answered over 600,000 questions on birth control pills, condoms, sex, and all the other similar curiosities you’re afraid to ask IRL. During Ask Mara’s online event, it announced the launch of its new features to further guide women with their needs, it added options to locate nearby drugstores and book online consultations with medical experts.

Check out Ask Mara’s official Facebook page and join over 64,000 empowered women. But if you’re wondering how it works, you can check out a brief guide below:

Once you open a conversation with Ask Mara, tap “Get Started” to begin. After the chatbot’s disclaimer and privacy statement, click the “I agree” option.

Ask Mara will then provide a range of options to choose from such as pregnancy, contraception, pill reminder, missed pill FAQ, and a feedback survey. An example below shows what will pop out when you click ‘Contraceptive Method’.

Ask Mara will present you with more information on the pill, condom, injectible, IUD/IUS, implants, withdrawal, cervical mucus method, calendar, temperature, and litigation/vasectomy.

Moving on to Ask Mara’s new features, just ask how to set an appointment if you have yet to see a doctor for a prescription. You’ll be directed to EzConsult, where you can book an appointment with an OB-GYNE online. Meanwhile, you can also ask where to buy pills and it will display a list of trusted drugstores nationwide.

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Screenshots courtesy of author

The post <b> ‘Ask Mara’: This chatbot can give you the talk on contraception your parents are too strict to have </b> appeared first on WE THE PVBLIC.

Source: we the pvblic