India – Lockdown Effect: Spike In Unplanned Babies, Abortions

Lack of access to contraceptives and family planning services during the COVID-19 induced lockdowns led to an alarming rise in the pregnancy rate across the nation, which in turn led to numerous abortions.

Lola Nayar
Aug 11, 2020

A sudden rise in pregnancies, with over a million ending in abortions, is feared as COVID led lockdown eases and health services resume. The fear is not baseless as ahead of the lockdown, a study in six states revealed poor availability of family planning devices and safe abortion options. Long months of lockdown, leading to enforced homebound status and intimacy sans contraceptives has not helped, states VS Chandrashekar, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS India) and Pratigya Campaign Advisory Group member.

“We are definitely expecting a baby boom in India with many not being able to access their choice of contraceptives. Across the country it is estimated that around 27 million couples were not able to access contraceptives,” says Chandrashekar.

Continued: https://poshan.outlookindia.com/story/poshan-news-lockdown-effect-spike-in-unplanned-babies-abortions/358467

11.08.2020

Featured

News

abortion pill shortage

Covid-19 and abortion

Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India

FRHS India

Pratigya Campaign Advisory Group

India – Survey shows acute shortage of medical abortion pills in many states

The non-stocking of medical abortion drugs seems to be linked to overregulation by drug control authorities, said authorities.

Published: 10th August 2020
By Sumi Sukanya Dutta, Express News Service

NEW DELHI: A survey to assess the availability of the medical abortion pills in six states has shown its acute shortage in most of the states, triggering concerns of a sharp rise in unwanted pregnancies in the coming months.

The study by the Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRSHI) involving 1500 chemists found that there was an overwhelming shortage of the drugs in five out of the six states surveyed with abysmal stocking in Madhya Pradesh (6.5%), Punjab (1.0%), Tamil Nadu (2.0%), Haryana (2.0%), and Delhi (34.0%).

Continued: https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/aug/10/survey-shows-acute-shortage-of-medical-abortion-pills-in-many-states-2181582.html

Why India is likely to lose its battle to population control as the health department focuses on COVID-19?

Why India is likely to lose its battle to population control as the health department focuses on COVID-19?
In the worst-case scenario, there can be more than 2.9 million additional population which could be due to unintended pregnancies

Thursday, May 14, 2020
By Jescilia Karayamparambil

The already stressed healthcare segment in India is presently concentrating on saving the lives of COVID-19 patients. But the healthcare professionals like doctors and other healthcare workers, are expected to feel the pinch further when there are more abortion cases and other health issues among women -- mainly due to unwanted pregnancies, says VS Chandrashekar, Chief Executive Officer, Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS). This unwanted pregnancy is expected to have large economic pressure among families who were not ready for a child.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Chandrashekar, said, "We prepared a report taking into consideration three scenarios -- best case, likely case and worst scenarios."

Continued: https://www.freepressjournal.in/business/why-india-is-likely-to-lose-its-battle-to-population-control-as-the-health-department-focuses-on-covid-19

India – Women’s empowerment is incomplete without access to safe abortion, but this just got worse

Women’s empowerment is incomplete without access to safe abortion, but this just got worse

September 28, 2019
VS Chandrashekar

Women’s reproductive rights in general, and abortion in particular, have been the subject of intense debate globally. Even in countries where the law permits abortions women battle stigma, bias, lack of awareness and information, all of which result in restriction of access to safe abortion.

Almost 48 years after abortion was legalised in India, a majority of women continue to lack access to safe abortion care. Unsafe abortion is the third leading cause of maternal mortality in India. Every day 10 women die in India due to unsafe abortion-related causes and many more suffer from morbidities such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility, which are related to unsafe abortion practices – ranging from home remedies to inserting sharp foreign objects into the cervix.

Continued: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/toi-edit-page/womens-empowerment-is-incomplete-without-access-to-safe-abortion-but-this-just-got-worse/