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ReproductiveHealth
Itisdefinedasthetotalwellbeinginallaspectsofreproduction.
Indiaasacountryensuresreproductivehealthtoall,andsince1951,
successivegovernmentshaveintroducedanumberofprogrammestoensure
this,e.g.,
familyplanningandRCH(ReproductiveandChild
Healthcare)programmes
.
Theaimoftheseprogrammesistocreateawarenessamongpeopleabout
thevariousaspectsofreproductivehealth.
Severalaudiovisualaidsandpamphletshavebeendevelopedbyboth
governmentalandnongovernmentalorganisations.
Awarenessisbeingcreatedamongschoolchildrenbyintroducingsex
educationinschools.
Itisessentialtoprovidemedicalassistancetopeoplewithproblemsrelated
toSTDs,pregnancy,contraceptionandinfertility,especiallyinvillages.
Amniocentesis
(foetalsexdeterminationbasedonchromosomalpattern)
hasbeenbannedtocheckfemalefoeticide.
PopulationExplosion
Improvementinthequalityoflifeduetoallrounddevelopment(better
healthfacilitiesandimprovedconditionsofliving)hasleadtoalarge
increaseintheworldpopulation(around1billionintheyear2000).
Thecausesofpopulationexplosionare:
Declineindeathrate(includingmaternalmortalityrateandinfant
mortalityrate)
Increaseinthenumberofpeopleinthereproducibleage
Populationexplosioncausesascarcityofeverybasicneed.
Therefore,ithasbecomeessentialtocheckthisincreaseinpopulation.
Onechildnorm,increasingthemarriageableageandpromoting
contraceptivemethodsaresomeofthewaystocheckpopulationexplosion.
BirthControl
Itisessentialtoensurebirthcontroltocheckpopulationexplosion.
Successivegovernmentshavecomeoutwithvariousprogrammesthat
encouragesmallerfamiliesbymeansofvariouscontraceptivemethods.
Contraceptivemethodsareoftwotypes:
Naturalmeansofcontraception
Artificialmeansofcontraception
NaturalMethods
Avoidingthecomingtogetherofovumandsperm
Periodicabstinence
:Avoidingcoitusfromdays10to17ofthe
menstrualcycle
Coitusinterruptus
:Withdrawalofpenisbeforeejaculation
Lactationalamenorrhea
:Itistheabsenceofmenstruationduring
lactation.So,inthelactationperiod,thechancesofconceptionare
almostzero.
ArtificialMethods
Physicallypreventingthecomingtogetherofovumandsperm
Barriers
:Includecondoms,diaphragms,cervicalcapsandvaults
Intrauterinedevices
(IUDs)
:Theyreleasehormonestocause
phagocytosisofsperms,ortheyreleasecopperionstodecreasesperm
motility.
Oralcontraceptivepills
:Theycontainhormoneseither
progesteroneorprogesteroneoestrogencombination.
Surgicalmethods
:Includevasectomy(removalofapartofthevas
deferensinmales)andtubectomy(removalofapartofthefallopian
tubesinfemales)
MedicalTerminationofPregnancy&Sexually
TransmittedDiseases
MedicalTerminationofPregnancy(MTP)
Intentionalorvoluntaryterminationofpregnancybeforethefullterm
Alsocalledinducedabortion
Hasaroleindecreasingpopulationbecomesessentialwhencontinued
pregnancymayprovetobefataltothemother,foetusortoboth
InIndia,MTPislegal,butwithcertainstrictconditionssoastoprevent
femalefoeticide.
Butinsomeplaces,MTPisusedwithamniocentesis,andwhenthefoetusis
female,itisaborted.Suchpracticescanprovetobefataltothemotheras
well.
SexuallyTransmittedDiseases(STDs)
DiseaseswhicharetransmittedsexuallyarecalledSTDs.
Alsocalled
venerealdiseases
(VD)or
reproductivetractinfections
(RTI)
SomeoftheSTDsare:
Gonorrhoea
Syphilis
Chlamydiasis
Genitalherpes
Genitalwarts
Trichomoniasis
HepatitisB
AIDS(canalsobetransmittedbysharinginjectionneedlesorsurgical
instruments,bloodtransfusion,andfromtheinfectedmothertothe
foetus)
WiththeexceptionofAIDS,genitalherpesandhepatitisB,otherdiseases
arecurable.
Whennotdetectedandtreatedintime,theycanleadtopelvicinflammatory
diseases,abortions,stillbirths,ectopicpregnancies,infertilityandeven
cancer.
Therefore,prevention,andtimelydetectionandcureofthesediseasesare
essentialtoensurereproductivehealth.
Someofthepreventivemeasuresare:
Avoidingsexwithunknown/multiplepartners
Useofcondoms
Tocheckwithadoctorwhenindoubt
Infertility
Manycouplesallovertheworldareunabletoproducechildren.
Someofthereasonsforinfertilityare:
Congenitaldiseases
Drugs
ImmunologicalandPsychologicalfactors
Specialisedfertilityclinicscanhelpdiagnoseandtreatinfertility.
Thecouplescanbeassistedtohavechildrenthroughtechniquescalled
assistedreproductivetechnologies(ART).
AssistedReproductiveTechnologies
Invitrofertilisation(IVF):Fertilisationtakesplaceoutsidethebody(test
tubebaby).ThefollowingtechniquesareincludedinIVF.
ZIFT
Itstandsforzygoteintrafallopiantransfer.InZIFT,thesperm
fromadonormaleandtheovafromadonorfemalearefusedinthe
laboratory.Thezygotesoformedistransferredintothefallopiantube
atthe8blastomeresstage.
IUT
Itstandsforintrauterinetransfer.Inthistechnique,embryos
withmorethan8blastomeresaretransferredintotheuterus.
GIFT
Itstandsforgameteintrafallopiantransfer.InGIFT,females
whocannotproduceovum,butcanprovidesuitableconditionsforthe
fertilisationofovum,areprovidedwithovumfromadonor.
ICSI
Itstandsforintracytoplasmicsperminjection.Inthismethod,
spermisdirectlyinjectedintothecytoplasmoftheovum.
Artificialinsemination
Inthistechnique,thesemencollectedfrom
thehusbandoradonorisinjectedintothevaginaoruterus.Thiscures
theinfertilityarisingfromtheinabilityofthemalepartnertoejaculate,
orduetolowspermcount.