New Delhi, September 26 (IANS). On World Contraception Day on Thursday, experts said that more than 65 percent of the country's population falls in the reproductive age group. Therefore, there is a need to invest in contraceptive options, especially for spacing births.
World Contraception Day is observed every year on 26 September to raise awareness about the importance of family planning and reproductive health. This year's theme is “A Choice for All, Freedom to Plan, Power of Choice”.
Keeping adequate gap between pregnancies can improve the health of mother and child. This will reduce unwanted pregnancies. This will also bring more economic stability for families.
“With 65 per cent of the country's youth population being below 35 years of age, there is an urgent need to invest in contraceptive options, especially contraceptive methods,” Poonam Muttreja, executive director of Population Foundation of India, told IANS.
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 5 (2019-21), four per cent of contraceptive shortage may contribute to birth spacing.
“Increasing access to these options will improve health outcomes, reduce health care costs, and improve women's economic well-being by providing them with opportunities to work,” Mutreja said.
He called for improvement in the quality of care in family planning and reproductive health services.
“Policies should prioritize providing respectful, high-quality care, because women who feel respected are more likely to use contraception effectively and adopt healthy family planning practices,” Mutreja said. “
India has included two new long-term reversible contraceptive methods in its public health system in the year 2023. These are – subdermal implants and subcutaneous intra-injections.
However, this comes after a 30-year delay, during which Indian women were deprived of vital contraceptive options. Also, it has been adopted by many countries around the world, including our neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel recently said that the acceptance of modern contraceptives in India has crossed 56 percent.
The country's National Family Planning Program currently provides a variety of reversible modern contraceptives including condoms, intrauterine contraceptive devices, pills, injectable contraceptives, etc.
“Contraception is an empowering tool, but it is important to balance it with the realities of reproductive health,” Dr Neha Khandelwal, director of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the New Delhi-based Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, told IANS.
Meanwhile, Muttreja also urged for active participation of men in family planning programmes.
“By including men as equal partners in family planning, we can open an important path to bring meaningful change in the country,” the public health expert said.
–IANS
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