Contraception issues

In developing countries, where the growth rate in population has not stabilised to desired levels yet, there are a host of women’s health-related issues. Among these, unsafe abortions and contraception issues are uppermost and need to be tackled by individuals, families, the NGOs, governments and pharma companies in a concerted manner if objectives of safe motherhood, child-spacing and family planning have to be met for individuals and the state alike.

Contraception in modern times remains a sensitive issue, depending on the ethnic and religious backgrounds where different restrictions could come into play or the past reputation of contraceptive products act as a mind block to acceptance. However, these are minor issues that have not precluded the acceptance and use of various methods of contraception in most countries including the seemingly conservative nations.

In India, where over 50 per cent of the population does not employ any contraception methods, where one in 10 have fertility problems and where menopausal and infertility issues are not just openly discussed, women’s health care issues therefore need greater focus.

Half of the 70,000 deaths globally due to abortion-related causes occur in Asia. With western influences, promiscuity, pre-marital sex and rapes on the rise, the necessity for greater awareness and education in the scientific methods of contraception and adoption of safe abortion techniques are more imperative now than before. Some of the smaller S.E. Asian nations have made greater progress in this area.

Contraception can have different connotations to different groups. Of course, the high unmet needs of contraception in developing countries means marketing opportunities for pharma companies, however small their number, in promoting the latest developments in specialised hormonal products including novel delivery systems. Contraception therefore needs to be dished out in more acceptable forms, based on the holistic front of giving women good health, especially so in developing countries.

The role of such companies in collaborative social work to enhance the life and well-being of their consumers in such markets cannot be over-emphasised. In fact, such collaborative and educative efforts go hand-in-hand with a gradual rise in market share. Again, research-based companies in this segment have been doing good work in new products development with reduced side-effects so that they are increasingly acceptable to consumers. For example, a slow release implant which is very popular in Indonesia, but having one major side-effect of irregular uterine bleeding, led to a collaborative ground-breaking research between Monash University and University of Indonesia discovering the cause of the side-effect and finding ways of treating the same.

On the other hand, emergency contraception required in cases of rape, unprotected or unwanted pregnancies is an issue. Dispensing such products over the counter or against valid prescriptions is still a debatable issue in many countries. Dr Khamma Rogo, World Bank’s lead health specialist, links unsafe abortions in developing countries to difficulties in accessing family planning services, failure of certain contraceptive methods, and lack of support in general.

Approved contraceptive procedures, addressing family planning by providing proper education and also reviewing government policies and laws to eschew discriminatory provisions against women and girls, all of these would be necessary for a woman to plan her reproductive life and exercise emotional control over it.

- nvramamurthy@express2.indexpco.in