BHUBANESWAR: With the population bomb ticking and Odisha witnessing a significant drop in the use of male contraceptives, the state government on Wednesday rolled out two new contraceptives for women and launched a roadmap-2030 for family planning.
Four districts from Odisha are among the 40 in 10 states of the country where the new contraceptive options - subdermal implants (single flexible rod) and subcutaneous injectable contraceptive Antara are being introduced on a pilot basis. The sub-dermal implants will be available in Ganjam and Cuttack while the subcutaneous injectable contraceptive Antara will be introduced in select facilities of Balasore and Gajapati districts in the first phase.
The sub-dermal implant is a flexible plastic rod, the size of a matchstick, which will be placed under the skin of the left upper arm of women. The implant will secrete a hormone and prevent conception for up to three years. Similarly, the Antara injectable is a reversible contraception method that can help women prevent conception for three months. The Health and Family Welfare Department has identified the healthcare facilities in the four districts where the new contraceptive methods will be introduced. Family welfare director Dr Bijay Panigrahy said the new contraceptives expand the choices available to women.
“Ensuring healthy birth spacing remains a priority for the state government. Around 25 per cent of people are using the existing traditional methods of contraceptives. The new options will foster informed decision-making and potentially increase modern contraceptive prevalence rate,” he said. UNFPA representative India and country director Bhutan Andrea M Wojnar said the family planning roadmap 2030 and newer contraceptives will empower women for right-based reproductive health.
Both methods can be used during the lactation period when the demand for contraception is very high. It will also provide privacy for the users and empower women to make reproductive health decisions without force or coercion, she said. At 1.6, the total fertility rate (TFR) of Odisha is below the national average of 2.1 and there is no significant improvement in the use of modern contraceptive methods leading to high cases of unwanted pregnancy and abortions.
As per NFHS-5, condom use in the state was only 5.5 per cent against the national average of 9.5 per cent while the number of women using pills as contraceptives has fallen from 12 per cent in 2015-16 to 10.8 per cent in 2019-21.
Family planning
The contraceptives will be introduced in four districts of Odisha
Sub-dermal implant is a flexible rod, to be placed under the skin of the left upper arm of women
Antara injectible is a reversible contraception method that can help women prevent conception for three months