REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH – PROBLEMS AND STRATEGIES
Reproductive health is a critical aspect of overall well-being and encompasses a range of issues related to the reproductive system, sexual health, and family planning. Problems in reproductive health can have significant physical, emotional, and social consequences.
-
History of Family Planning: India initiated family planning programs in 1951, making it one of the first countries to take such measures on a national scale.
-
Reproductive and Child Health Care (RCH) Programs: Over the years, family planning programs have evolved into more comprehensive initiatives, known as Reproductive and Child Health Care programs, which cover a wider range of reproductive health areas.
-
Awareness and Education: To achieve reproductive health goals, government and non-governmental agencies use audio-visual and print media to create awareness among the public about various reproduction-related aspects. Parents, relatives, teachers, and friends also play a crucial role in disseminating information.
-
Sex Education: The passage advocates for the introduction of sex education in schools to provide accurate information to young individuals, dispelling myths and misconceptions. This education covers topics like reproductive organs, adolescence, safe sexual practices, and issues like sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS.
-
Birth Control and Maternal Care: Fertile couples and those of marriageable age are educated about birth control options, the care of pregnant mothers, post-natal care for mothers and infants, and the importance of breastfeeding. These efforts aim to help individuals build socially conscious and healthy families of their desired size.
-
Population Control and Social Issues: The passage emphasizes the need for awareness about the problems caused by uncontrolled population growth and social issues like sex abuse and sex-related crimes, with the goal of encouraging people to take preventive measures and build a responsible and healthy society.
-
Infrastructure and Professional Expertise: Successful implementation of reproductive health programs requires strong infrastructure, professional expertise, and material support to provide medical assistance and care for various reproduction-related problems.
-
Research and Development: Both governmental and non-governmental agencies support research on reproduction-related areas to develop new methods and improve existing ones. An example provided is the development of the oral contraceptive “Saheli” by scientists at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow, India.
-
Improvements in Reproductive Health: The passage notes various positive outcomes resulting from these initiatives, such as increased awareness of sex-related matters, medically assisted deliveries, post-natal care, decreased maternal and infant mortality rates, and increased access to medical facilities for sex-related problems.
POPULATION STABILISATION AND BIRTH CONTROL
-
Population Growth: The passage notes that in the last century, advancements in various fields significantly improved the quality of life for people. However, this led to a rapid increase in the world’s population. The global population grew from around 2 billion in 1900 to approximately 7.2 billion by 2011. A similar trend was observed in India, where the population increased from about 350 million at the time of independence to over 1.2 billion by May 2011.
-
Factors Contributing to Population Growth: The rapid decline in death rates, maternal mortality rates (MMR), and infant mortality rates (IMR), along with an increase in the number of people in the reproductive age group, are identified as factors contributing to this population growth.
-
Reproductive Child Health (RCH) Program: The government’s Reproductive Child Health (RCH) program aimed to control population growth, but it achieved only marginal success. The population growth rate in India remained high, less than 2 percent, which was considered alarming.
-
Measures to Control Population Growth: The government recognized the need for serious measures to control population growth, primarily by encouraging smaller families. This was done through various contraceptive methods and campaigns, such as the “Hum Do Hamare Do” slogan, which encouraged couples to have two children. Additionally, some couples adopted a one-child norm. Statutory measures included raising the marriageable age of females to 18 years and that of males to 21 years. Incentives were also provided to couples with small families.
-
Introduction of Contraceptive Methods: The passage introduces the topic of contraceptive methods as a means to prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, it doesn’t delve into specific methods in this section.
An ideal contraceptive should be user-friendly, easily available, effective and reversible with no or least side-effects. It also should in no
way interfere with the sexual drive, desire and/or the sexual act of the user.
