REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH class 12 ncert biology chapter-4

Topics to be covered-

• Reproductive Health- problems and strategies
• Population Explosion and Birth control
• Medical Termination of Pregnancy 
• Sexually Transmitted Disease
• Infertility

You have learnt about human reproductive system and its function. Now, let's discuss a closely related topic - reproductive health.What do we understand by this term? The term simply refers to healthy reproductive organs with normal functions. However, it has a broader perspectives and includes the emotional and social aspects of reproduction also. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), reproductive health means total well-being in all aspects of reproduction, i.e., physical, emotional, behavioural and social. Therefore, a society with people having physical and functionally normal reproductive organs and normal emotional and behavioural interaction among them in all sex-related aspects might be called reproductively healthy. Why is significant to maintain reproductive health and what are the methods taken up to achieve it? 

Reproductive Health - Problems And Strategies

India was amongst the first countries in the world to initiate action plans and programmes at a national level to attain total reproductive health as a social goal. These programmes called 'family planing' were initiated in 1951 and were periodically assessed over the past decades. Improved programmes covering wider reproduction - related areas are currently in operation under the popular name 'Reproductive and Child Health Care (RCH) programmes'. Creating awareness among people about various reproduction related aspects and providing facilities and support for building up a reproductively healthy society are the major tasks under these programmes. 

With the help of audio-visual and the print-media governmental and non-governmental agencies have taken various steps to create awareness among people about reproduction-related aspects. Parents, other close relative, teachers, and friends, also have a major role in the dissemination of the above information. Introduction of sex education in schools should also be encouraged to provide right information to the young so as to discourage children from believing in myths and having misconceptions about sex-related aspects. Proper information about reproductive organs, adolescence and related changes, safe and hygienic sexual practices, sexually transmitted disease (STD), AIDS, etc., would help people, especially those in adolescent age group to lead a reproductive healthy life. Educating people, especially fertile couple and those in marriageable age group, about available birth control options, care of pregnant mothers, post-natal care of the mother and child, importance of breast feeding, equal opportunities for the male and the female child, etc., would address the importance of bringing up socially conscious healthy families of desired size. Awareness of problems due to uncontrolled population growth, social evils like sex-abuse and sex-related crimes, etc., need to be created to enable people to think and take up necessary steps to prevent them and thereby build up a socially responsible and healthy society. 

Successful implementation of various action plans to attain reproductive health requires strong infrastructural facilities, professional expertise and material support. These are essential to provide medical assistance and care to people in reproduction-related problems like pregnancy, delivery, STDs, abortions, contraception, menstrual problems, infertility, etc,. implementation of better techniques and new strategies from time to time are also required to provide more efficient care and assistance to people. Statutory ban on amniocentesis for sex-determination to legally check increasing menace of female foeticides, massive child immunisation, etc., are some programmes that merit mention in this connection. In aminocentesis some of the amniotic fluid of the developing foetus is taken to analyse the fetal cells and dissolved substances. This procedure is used to test for the presence of certain genetic disorders such as, down syndrome, haemoplilia, sickle-cell anemia, etc., determine the survivability of the foetus.        

 

Research on various reproduction-related areas are encouraged and support by governmental and non-governmental agencies to find out new methods and/or to improve upon the existing ones. Do you know that 'Saheli'-a new oral contraceptive for the females-was developed by scientist at Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow, India? Better awareness about sex related matters, increased number of medically assisted deliveries and better post-natal care leading to decreased maternal and infant mortality rates, increased number of couples with small families, better detection and cure of STDs and overall increased medical facilities for all sex related problems, etc. all indicate improved reproductive health of the society. 

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Infection or diseases which are transmitted through sexual intercourse are collectively called sexually transmitted infections (STI) or  venereal diseases (VD) or reproductive tract infections (RTI). Gonorrhoea, syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydiasis, genital warts, trichomoniasis, hepatitis-B and of course, the most discussed infection in the recent years, HIV leading to AIDS are some of the common STIs. Among these, HIV infection is most dangerous.

Some of these infection like hepatitis-B and HIV can also be transmitted by sharing of injection needles, surgical instruments. etc., with infected person, transfusion of blood, or from an infected mother to the foetus too. Except for hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV  infections, other diseases are completely curable if detected early and treated properly. Early symptoms of the most of these are minor and include itching, fluid discharge, slight pain, swelling, etc., in the genital region. Infected females may often be asymptomatic and hence, may remain undetected for long. Absence of less significant symptoms in the early stages of infection and the social stigma attached to the STIs, deter the infected persons from going for timely detection and proper treatment. This could lead to complications later, which include pelvis inflammatory diseases (PDI), abortions, still births, ectopic pregnancies, infertility or even cancer of the reproductive tract. STIs are a major threat to a healthy society. Therefore, prevention or early detection and cure of these diseases are given prime consideration under the reproductive health-care programmes. Though all persons are vulnerable to these infections. their incidences are reported to be very high among persons in the age group of 15-24 years - the age group to which you also belong. There is no reason to panic because prevention is possible. One could be free of these infections by following these simple principles given below:

1. Avoid sex with unknown partners/multiple partners.
2. Always try to use condoms during coitus.
3. In case of doubt, one should go to a qualified doctor for early detection and get complete treatment if diagnosed with infection. 

                                                                       THANKS

                                                                    -SAT SAHIB