World Population Day is an awareness day established by the UN which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and the importance of population issues, including their relation to development and even the environment. The day was marked on the 11th of July, 1990 in over 90 countries.
Every year, World Population Day follows a particular theme, concentrating on the various aspects of population issues. This year, on 11th July 2018, World Population Day will follow the theme – Family planning is a human right.
The Need for Family Planning
All around the world, there are about 225 million women who wish to avoid pregnancy but are unable to use safe and effective family planning methods. The reasons for this may range from a lack of access to information or services to a lack of support from their partners or communities. Most of the women who face an unmet demand for contraceptives live in 69 of the poorest countries.
Apart from being central to gender equality and women empowerment, access to voluntary and safe family planning is also a basic human right.
Female and Male Contraceptives
While there are many methods of long-lasting contraception, a lot of misconceptions surrounding the use of anything long term, like vasectomy, tubectomy, or even long-acting reversible contraceptives. The need for educating the masses about proper contraception is imminent. In that direction, paying attention to the most common contraceptive methods is also important, and that includes a mention of male and female condoms and IUD’s or Cu T.
Male and Female Condoms.
Not only pregnancy but also a number of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) like AIDS can be effectively controlled by the use of condoms. Male latex condoms are very effective in helping prevent pregnancy and reducing the risk of STDs. To ensure maximum efficiency, one needs to ensure that the condoms fit the penis properly, do not have holes, are physically strong to not break during use, and are correctly packaged.
However, what a lot of people still don’t realize is that condoms are not just available for males, but also for females. A female condom is a sort of sheath that lines the vaginal canal. It is designed to be retained in the vagina during sexual intercourse as well as after the withdrawal of the penis. The female condom also helps prevent pregnancy and transmission of STIs, and the external component of the device also provides coverage to the external part of the female genitalia.
Intra-Uterine Devices/ Copper IUDs/ Cu T
The copper IUDs (Intra-Uterine devices) are a form of long-acting reversible contraceptives. It is a small device that is inserted into the uterus and primarily works by killing the sperm. This device can be used by women of all ages irrespective of whether they’ve had children or not. As soon as the device removed, fertility returns. This has been proven to be one of the most fail-safe methods of contraception and is reversible as well.
Buying the Right Contraceptive Devices
When buying contraceptives, one needs to ensure that they are not beguiled by any fake products in the market. There are a lot of condoms or IUDs available that are not up to the mark in terms of safety, efficiency, and quality. Using these products might just lead to even more complications. While unstandardized condoms could lead to inflammations, infections, or even unwanted pregnancy, the wrong IUDs may cause issues like increased risk of STDs, pelvic inflammatory diseases, etc.
Standardization by the Bureau of Indian Standards is one of the first markers that one is required to check to ensure the efficacy and safety of their contraceptive devices. IS/ISO standards are a must to be followed and looking for the BIS mark of standardization a basic need.
More than having the contraceptives in place, it is important to ensure that the right contraceptives are made available.
The journey to bring about proper awareness for family planning and contraception methods might be a long and arduous one, but only with persistence and perseverance can it be achieved. After all, proper family planning can play a major role in reducing poverty. For a country, investment in enabling family planning for the masses can yield economic gains and propel development in the long term, and also empower those who intend to be planned and responsible in regards to procreation.
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