Sexual Reproductive Health

As a demographic, unmarried women are completely invisible in the domain of Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) in India; Due to societal biases and shame, they de-prioritize their sexual health needs and refrain from accessing services. Given that India has the second largest population and the largest adolescent population, there are several reproductive health concerns in India- high unwanted fertility, as per NHFS III, nearly 21% pregnancies are either unwanted or mistimed, high maternal mortality, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive tract infections- as per the NACO annual report, an estimated 3 crore episodes of STI/reproductive tract infections occur every year in India, among others. Almost one in every four people has fertility problems that need expert help. However, due to the stigma associated with the subject, people end up experimenting with quacks, tantriks and non-medical practitioners According to report published by Family Planning Association in 2019, 14 per cent of pregnancies amongst adolescents under 20 years are unplanned. It further posits that 60 per cent of women in the age group 15-19 were found anaemic, which contributes majorly to age-specific mortality amongst adolescents. Further, 34 per cent of married adolescents admitted to being physically, emotionally, or sexually assaulted. Fifty per cent of maternal deaths among girls from 15-19 years of age occur due to unsafe abortion practices. Most of the unsuccessful abortions women experience can be traced back to the purchase of non-prescriptive drugs which may be falsely advertised by chemists as an alternative and cheaper option to prescriptive abortifacients. Thus, the aim of this project is to both present the challenges of this Misinformation and suggest the necessary strategies as the way forward to promote and ensure safe SRHR in India