Reproductive Health and It’s Importance

 


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