Family planning in India
[1][2][3][4][5] Extensive family planning has become a priority in an effort to curb the projected population of two billion by the end of the twenty-first century.
[10] However, the vast majority of married Indians (76% in a 2009 study) reported significant problems in accessing a choice of contraceptive methods.
An inverted Red Triangle is the symbol for family planning health and contraception services in India.
[21] Along with that two contraceptive pills, MPA (Medroxyprogesterone acetate) under Antara program and Chaya (earlier marketed as Saheli) will be made freely available to all government hospitals.
[21] Family planning program benefits not only parents and children but also to society and nation, by being able to keep the number of new births under control allows for less population growth.
[24] Although this seems promising, two-thirds of India's population resides in rural areas, adding to the decreased fertility rate.
[18] Although India is dealing with major overpopulation issues, the fertility rate and the overall population growth is declining.
Since this time, the country has recorded a steady decline in order to reach the current rate (as of 2024) of 2.1 births per woman.
India carries a pronatalist attitude towards fertility, with the large family structure creating an environment for new children to learn and grow in Indian culture.
[31] A criticism of these policies is that it decreases the number of women in government positions, and encourages sex-selective abortions.
[33] Those who held politicians have stricter policies in hopes that they will set an example for the community, if one were to exceed the limit of two children while employed, they would be terminated from the job.
[36] In 2005, the Government of India established the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in effort to address some of these issues amongst others.
[36] The objective of the NRHM includes the provision of effective healthcare to rural areas, especially to poor and vulnerable populations.
[38] Ultimately, the NRHM aims to push India towards the Millennium Development Goal targets for reproductive health.
[36] Raghunath Dhondo Karve published a Marathi-language magazine Samaj Swasthya (समाज स्वास्थ्य) starting from July 1927 until 1953.
[40] The program's primary objectives were to lower fertility rates and slow population growth as a means to propel economic development.
[41] Since the beginning, India's family planning program was marred by a "vertical approach" rather than working on additional factors.
These factors affecting population growth include poverty, education, public health care.
In the early 1970s, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had implemented a forced sterilisation programme, but failed.
[43] After Emergency the focus of family planning program shifted to women as sterilising men proved to be politically expensive.
[44] This is due in part to government intervention which established many clinics as well as the enforcement of fines for those who avoided family planning.
[45] However, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality rates remain high along with the number of unsafe abortions, and little is known about the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases.
