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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Brinda opposes injectable contraceptives plan

Brinda opposes injectable contraceptives plan

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published Published on Nov 20, 2010   modified Modified on Nov 20, 2010

Writes to Azad expressing concern over its inclusion in public health programme

The Union government's decision to allow the use of injectable contraceptives, as part of the public health programme in the country, would be a harmful step that will affect the health of women, Member of Parliament and Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member Brinda Karat has said.

In a letter to the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ms. Karat, while calling for reconsidering the decision, said it would be unfortunate if the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) was converted into a mission to introduce damaging invasive hormonal contraceptives into the health system. “Surely that is not its mandate.”

“You are aware that a similar proposal in the 1990's had to be ultimately withdrawn because of legitimate objections from women's organisations and public health experts and activists. The reasons are still valid,” she said.

Side effects

Injectables have side effects, which were well documented. These include disruption in the menstrual cycle — causing both Menorrhagia and Metrorrhagia. Its other side effects are: headaches, dizziness, weight gain, abdominal bloating and general discomfort. Government officials, pushing for injectable contraceptives, consider these side effects to be “minor.” However, for women, particularly those doing hard manual labour, these could have a serious impact on their work, besides causing great inconvenience, affecting the quality of life.

“These are precisely the women who will be targets of the programme.”

“It should be noted that in a trial conducted by the Indian Council for Medical Research of injectable contraceptive Net-en, the cumulative discontinuation rate due to menstrual disturbance was 21.2 per cent in the first year and 43.5 per cent in the second year. In another study done by the World Health Organisation on Depo Provera, discontinuation rates were ever higher, from 33.3 per cent to 75 per cent and 49.5 per cent to 91.3 per cent,” Ms. Karat said.

“Its long term effects include heart and liver problems and adverse impact on bone density. Long acting contraceptives contain hormones and require close monitoring, as they are provider controlled. We do not have a strong monitoring system. Vast areas are uncovered by minimum health infrastructure. In such a situation it would be against the minimum health and human rights of women to introduce such methods of contraception in the public health system,” Ms. Karat said.

It would also be extremely short-sighted to introduce such a wide use of injections, as it would increase the risk of the spread of HIV-AIDS.

Admitting that there was a huge unmet need for safe contraception in the country and that it was necessary for the government to take urgent steps to fill this gap, Ms. Karat, however, said it would be highly objectionable if the government's stated concern for population stabilisation should be translated into a programme, which would be against the interests of poor women.

“Choice can and should never include harmful drugs.”


The Hindu, 20 November, 2010, http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article899606.ece


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