Reproductive health is one of the most
important things we should have known about. According to WHO, reproductive
health means total well-being in all aspects of reproduction i.e. physical,
emotional, behavioral, and social.
Reproductive
Health: Problem And Strategies
1. India was amongst the first countries in
the world to initiate the program "family planning" initiated in
1951.
2. Reproductive health in a society forms a
crucial part of general health.
3. Improved programs covering wider
reproduction-related areas are currently in operation under the popular name
Reproductive and Child Health program.
4. Health and education of young people and
marriage and childbearing during more mature stages of life are important
attributes to the reproductive health of a society.
Measures
Were Taken By The Government:
1. Through the help of audio-visuals
because they help in maintaining discipline in the class since all the
student’s attention are focused in learning. This interactive session also
develops critical thinking and reasoning that are important components of the
teaching-learning process
2. Sex education was introduced in schools
to provide awareness as Sex education is the instruction of issues relating to
human sexuality, including emotional relations and responsibilities, sexual
reproduction, reproductive health, and many more. Sex education that covers all
of these aspects is known as comprehensive sex education.
3. Proper information about reproductive
organs, adolescence & related changes, safe & hygienic sexual
practices, sexually transmitted diseases, AIDS, etc. Implementation of
Reproductive and Child Health Care Programme.
Amniocentesis
It is a technique used to find chromosomal
abnormalities in developing embryos by using amniotic fluid. It is also misused
to check fetal sex determination based on the chromosomal pattern in the
amniotic fluid surrounding the developing embryo.
Steps
To Overcome Population Explosion
The government is set to adopt a host of
measures to control population growth, including offering family planning
support and investing in the behavioral change of people and making family
planning a national priority.
Nowadays many contraceptive methods have
been introduced in India for birth control. Studies show that women with access
to reproductive health services find it easier to break out of poverty, while
those who work are more likely to use birth control.
Contraceptive
Methods
Contraception is defined as the intentional
prevention of conception through the use of various devices, sexual practices,
chemicals, drugs, or surgical procedures.
Ideal
Contraceptive
Ideal contraceptive should be User friendly, inexpensive or cost-effective, which prevent
sexually transmitted diseases or STDs, easily removable with no side effects,
and No way interferes with sexual desire and sexual acts.
Contraceptive
Methods Divisions
1.
Natural Methods
It works on the principle of avoiding
chances of ovum and sperm meeting. It includes:
1. Periodic abstinence: the couples avoid
coitus from day 10 to 17 of the menstrual cycle as chances of fertilization are
very high during this period, it is called the fertile period.
2. Withdrawal or Coitus Interruptus : male
partner withdraws penis from the vagina just before ejaculation to avoid
insemination.
3. Lactational Amenorrhea: the absence of
menstruation after parturition and due to intense milk feeding and no ovulation
in this period, chances of fertilization are nil.
2.
Barrier Methods
Ovum and sperms are prevented from physical
meetings with the help of barriers. This includes-
1. Condoms– used by males, barriers made of
rubber or latex sheets used to cover the penis or vagina and cervix of females.
It also prevents STDs.
2. Diaphragms, cervical caps, and vaults
are barriers made of rubber that are inserted into the female reproductive
tract during coitus.
3. Spermicidal creams, jellies, and foams
are usually used along with these barriers to increase their contraceptive
efficiency.
3.
Intrauterine Devices
They are inserted by a doctor or trained
nurse into the female uterus through the vagina. IUCDs may be non-medicated
IUDs, copper releasing IUDs, and the hormone-releasing IUDs.
IUCDs increase the phagocytosis of sperm in
the uterus and copper reduce the motility and fertility capacity of sperms. The
hormone-releasing IUDs make the uterus unsuitable for implantation and the
cervix hostile to the sperms. It is ideal for females who want to delay
pregnancy and spacing between two children.
4.
Oral Contraceptive Methods
Oral contraceptive methods mainly include
oral contraceptive pills. They are progesterone or progesterone-estrogen
combinations used by females in the form of tablets. They inhibit ovulation and
implantation as well as change the quality of cervical mucus to prevent/ retard
entry of sperms.
Administration of progesterone or
progesterone-estrogen combination within 72 hours of coitus is found to be very
effective as an emergency contraceptive.
5.
Surgical Method
This method is also called sterilization. It
is used as a terminal method of contraception in male and females to prevent
any more pregnancy. These techniques are highly effective but their
reversibility is very poor.
1. Vasectomy is the surgical method in
males; a small part of the vast deference is removed or tied up through a small
incision on the scrotum to prevent the release of sperms.
2. Tubectomy is the surgical method in
females in which a small part of the fallopian tube is removed surgically.
Side Effects Of Contraceptive Method:
The selection of contraceptive methods must
be taken under the consultation of the doctors. They have ill-effects like
nausea, abdominal pain, breakthrough bleeding, irregular menstrual bleeding, or
even breast cancer.
Medical
Termination Of Pregnancy
Voluntary termination of pregnancy before
full term is called MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) or induced abortion.
It plays an important role in decreasing the population by aborting an unwanted
pregnancy.
In India, MTP was legalized in 1971 with
some restrictions to prevent its misuse such as indiscriminate and illegal
female foeticides.
MTP is used to:
1. Get rides of unwanted pregnancy due to
unprotected intercourse or failure of contraceptives used during coitus or
rapes.
2. When pregnancy continuation could be
harmful or even fatal to the mother or fetus.
3. MTPs are considered relatively safe
during the first trimester or up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Second-trimester
MTPs are much riskier.
Sexually
Transmitted Disease (STDs)
Diseases or infections which are
transmitted through sexual intercourse are collectively called sexually
transmitted disease or venereal disease (VD) or reproductive tract infection
(RTI).
Some common STDs are Gonorrhea, syphilis,
genital herpes, genital warts, and AIDS.
Hepatitis-B and HIV are also transmitted by
sharing of injection needles, surgical instruments with infected persons,
transfusion of blood, or from infected mother to fetus. Except for genital
herpes, HIV and hepatitis-B are completely curable if detected earlier and
treated properly.
Infections
Of STDs Can Be Prevented By
1. Abstinence - The most reliable way to
avoid infection is to not have sex.
2. Mutual Monogamy - Being in a long-term,
mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is one of the most
reliable ways to avoid STDs.
3. Reduce Number of Sex Partners – If you
have more than one sex partner, it is imperative that you and your partners
tested, and that you share your test results with one another.
4. Use Condoms - Correct and consistent use
of the male latex condom is highly effective in reducing STD transmission. Use
a condom every time you have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
Infertility:
The couples who are unable to reproduce
children despite unprotected sexual cohabitation are called infertile. The
reasons for this could be many-physical, congenital, diseases, drugs,
Immunological, or even Psychological.
Infertile couples can be assisted to have
children through certain special techniques commonly called assisted
reproductive technologies (ART), which includes:
1. In vitro fertilization (IVF):
Fertilization outside the body is followed
by embryo transfer, which is commonly called the test tube baby program. The
ovum from wife/donor and sperms from husband/ donor are collected and induced
to fertilize in the laboratory conditions and then there fusion or zygote is
placed in female uterus.
2. GIFT (gamete intra fallopian transfer):
Transfer of gametes collected from a donor
into the fallopian tube of another female who does not produce ovum.
3. Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection
(ICSI):
It is a specialized procedure to form an
embryo in a laboratory in which sperm is directly injected into the ovum.
4. Artificial insemination:
Infertility cases in which a male partner
is unable to produce healthy sperms are treated by this technique in which
semen collected from the donor is artificially introduced into the vagina or
the uterus, IUI (intrauterine insemination) of the female.
Written by - Mahak Galhotra
Edited by – Adrija Saha
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