India requires urgent investment in contraceptive spacing methods: Experts

Adequately spaced pregnancies can boost maternal and child health outcomes This will lead to better maternal and child health reduced unintended or unplanned pregnancies and greater economic stability for familiesldquoIndias young population with over 65 per cent under 35 requires urgent investment in contraceptive choices especially spacing methodsrdquo Poonam Muttreja executive director of Population Foundation of India saidAccording to NFHS 5 201921 4 per cent of Indias unmet contraceptive need is for spacing methodsldquoExpanding access to these options will improve health outcomes reduce healthcare costs and enhance economic productivity by allowing women to better participate in the workforcerdquo Muttreja saidShe called on improving the quality of care in family planning and reproductive health servicesldquoPolicies must prioritise delivering respectful highquality care as women who feel valued and respected are more likely to use contraception effectively and adopt healthier family planning practicesrdquo Muttreja saidIn 2023 India integrated two new Long Acting Reversible Contraceptive LARC methods into its public health system the subdermal implant and the subcutaneous Antara injectionHowever it comes after a 30year delay during which Indian women were deprived of crucial contraceptive options At the same time it was adopted by many countries around the world including our neighbouring countries such as Bangladesh Nepal and Sri Lanka Muttreja saidThe Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel recently stated that the acceptance of modern contraceptives in India has increased to over 56 per centThe countryrsquos National Family Planning Programme currently offers a variety of reversible modern contraceptives encompassing condoms intrauterine contraceptive devices oral pills injectable contraceptives etcAlthough contraception is an empowering tool it is crucial to balance planning with the realities of reproductive health Dr Neha Khandelwal Director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cloudnine Group of Hospitals New Delhi told IANSldquoWhile contraception is used by many couples to avoid unplanned pregnancies and to adequately space your pregnancies they must not forget that the biological clock of a woman doesnrsquot wait for the lsquoperfect timersquo to conceiverdquo Khandelwal saidShe noted that ldquofertility declines after 30 and declines rapidly after 35 years of age Timely planning a pregnancy will help escape infertility issuesrdquoThe doctor also advised couples to have open conversations not only about when they feel emotionally ready but also about the potential biological challenges that can come with waiting too longMeanwhile Muttreja also urged for active male involvement in family planning programmesldquoBy engaging men as equal partners in family planning we may unlock a critical pathway to driving meaningful change in the countryrdquo the public health expert saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever