Reproductive health

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines reproductive health as total well-being in every part of reproduction: physical, emotional, behavioural and social. So a society with reproductive health is not just one where people's reproductive organs work normally; it is one where people understand reproduction, make safe choices, and are treated with respect.

India was among the first countries in the world to start national programmes for this, under the name 'family planning', in 1951. Today, broader programmes called Reproductive and Child Health Care (RCH) cover it. Their aims include:

• Awareness: correct information about reproduction, through the media, schools and health workers.
• Sex education in schools, so that young people get correct information and are not misled by myths.
• Knowledge about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and AIDS, and how to prevent them.
• Information on birth control, safe pregnancy, care of mothers and newborns, breastfeeding, and equal opportunities for boys and girls.

Research supports these programmes. Amniocentesis is a test in which a little amniotic fluid (the fluid around the foetus) is taken to look for genetic disorders. Because it can also show the sex of the foetus, it was misused, and often followed by the abortion of female foetuses. Its use for sex determination is therefore banned in India, to stop female foeticide. Indian scientists also developed 'Saheli', a new oral contraceptive for women, at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow.

Signs that reproductive health in India has improved include: lower maternal and infant death rates, more medically assisted deliveries and better care after birth, smaller families, and earlier detection and cure of STIs.