LUCKNOW: Rural men can no longer shy away from their role in reproductive health and planning babies with the Uttar Pradesh health department re-inventing its family planning programme.
In a novel initiative, the state government has directed the department to call married men to the Saas Bahu Sammelans, a platform where health staff educate newly-wed women about reproductive health and the importance of spacing between children in the presence of their mothers-in-law.
Women who benefitted from family planning share their experiences, clear doubts of others and collect contraceptive pills and condoms.
Started in 2010, the sammelans became instant hit as they gave women a chance to enjoy through poetry recitals, singing and activities like Rangoli making after discussion. However, the role of males in family planning remained dismal as not more than three men come forward for 100 women in UP which is home to over four crore eligible couples.
Of the total, 20.3% or nearly 80 lakh belong to the 15-24 years age group but account for 32.2% of total fertility as per the Sample Registration Survey of 2017. However, the unmet need of family planning in this group is about 90% and it also accounts for 38% of total maternal deaths in country.
Internal surveys show that women have little control over their bodies and no role in decisions on wanting to have a baby or not and using contraception or family planning methods.
In fact, many women admitted that sexual union was often imposed, and they had to face violence if they asked their husbands to use condoms. In conclusion, men hold the key to family planning decisions at home.
Evidence also speaks for this. The report ‘Unintended Pregnancy, Abortion and Post-Abortion Care in Uttar Pradesh’ brought out by Guttmacher Institute in 2018 revealed that over 50% of the pregnancies in UP were unintended.
Of these, the majority, estimated at 32 lakh (64%), ended in termination of pregnancy while 25% translated into births resulting in 11 lakh unwanted births, besides additional 2,294 maternal and over 50,000 infant deaths, including 37,000 neo-natal deaths each year.
In the order making Saas Bahu Beta Sammelans mandatory, MD, National Health Mission, UP, Aparna U said, “It has been observed that the role of men supersedes everything else in matters of family. Therefore, it is important to make the sons understand the importance of family planning. Thus, the traditional saas bahu sammelans should have the presence of sons as well.”
Only men whose wives are present in the sammelan can attend it.
The health department will invite husbands of high-risk pregnant women, couples who have never used family planning methods, and those having three or more children.
Health experts are all praise for the unique initiative. “Family planning is a shared responsibility and unless men understand their role, the stereotypes will continue to drive their decisions. The new strategy promises to change the picture,” said Prof SN Shankhwar, head of urology department, KGMU.
