Question

Suggest any four aspects of reproductive health that need to be given special attention in the present scenario.

Answer 1

Hint: Reproductive health is defined as total well-being in all aspects of reproduction, i.e., physical, emotional, behavioral, and social by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As a developing country with extremely high rates of sexual violence and low reproductive health, there are multiple aspects of reproductive health that need to be given special attention.

Complete step by step answer:
Aspects of reproductive health that require special attention in the present scenario are as follows.
- Counseling and providing visual media by introducing sex education to adolescents and teenagers explaining the aspects of reproductive health, awareness on the spread of STDs, clear knowledge about puberty and all hormonal changes associated with it, the concept of consent in sex is necessary as an early education to the youth about leading a healthy sex life as adults lead to lower societal evils such as sexual abuse.
- Spreading the awareness of population stabilization and usage of birth control is done by promoting the usage of contraceptives and protection, such as usage of birth control pills, Intrauterine Devices (IUDs), condoms for males and females, and surgical techniques such as vasectomy and tubectomy. These methods prevent unwanted pregnancy, the spread of STDs, unwanted abortions, and overall higher reproductive health of women.
- Providing help during pregnancy, abortion, infertility, and treatment of STDs reduces the stigma around these topics and it also saves lives. Removal of stigma stops the unwillingness of the patient to receive correct medical help and thus ensures recovery.
- Awareness of providing the right nutrition to pregnant and post-partum mothers is extremely important as pregnant women in the country are prone to be severely lacking in nutrition. Family planning also needs to be promoted in this situation, as giving birth to only two or one children is less stressful for the mother both physically and mentally, it also reduces the stress on the country’s resources and is economically beneficial for the family.
- The diseases that can be spread through sexual intercourse are known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or venereal diseases (VDs). Some of the common STDs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, AIDS, herpes, and others.
- Methods of inducing pregnancy despite infertility issues include in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination.
- Medical termination of pregnancy or MTP is legal in our country to terminate unwanted pregnancies and conception caused due to rape.

Note:
- If couples in a relationship cannot conceive due to a variety of reasons, adoption is always encouraged.
- While MTPs are legal, amniocentesis to determine the sex of the unborn child is banned as this leads to female feticide in the country.