Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081959520500.htm

New Delhi

Private sector roped in for new contraceptive promotion

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: Government has involved the private sector in promoting the use of a technically superior version of the intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD) that has a life span of 10 years.

The IUCD 380 A or CuT 380 A was introduced by the government in 2002 as part of its National Family Planning Programme as an alternative for the multi-load copper T, commonly known as CuT 200 B with a life span of 5 years. However, the improved version remained underutilised as it failed to pick up primarily due to lack of access and marketing.

Among all the spacing methods, IUCD promises the advantages of being very effective, safe and ensures long-term protection against pregnancy and the health risks associated with the method are negligible. Taking up the initiative of promoting the latest IUCD, the Jansankhya Sthirta Kosh (National Population Stabilisation Fund) convened a meeting of top executives of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) from Delhi, Gurgaon and Faridabad to discuss the techno-clinical superiority of the IUCD 380 A over its older version and chalk out a strategy for providing the facility in the private sector for the benefit of women seeking long term spacing and who were unlikely to visit government facilities.

According to Shailaja Chandra, executive director of Jansankhya Sthirta Kosh, the latest product offers long term, highly effective reversible protection against pregnancy and it can be used as an alternative by couples apprehensive about surgical terminal methods and can be removed whenever required.

It also acts as an emergency contraceptive, if inserted within five days of unprotected sex.

Manufactured by Hindutan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust, the IUCD 380 A will be provided free of cost to the private facilities who can charge a fee for insertion. The Gujarat government has been using this IUCD successfully for the past several years. “We want to be fully prepared before we spread out to the rest of the country,” Ms Chandra said.

Since insertion requires skill, experts from the Ministry of Health and Family Planning trained the FOGSI members who in turn are training batches of 50 obstetrics and gynaecologists in Delhi, Faridabad and Gurgaon.

According to Sharda Jain, FOGSI executive in East Delhi, the response has been tremendous.

“We have already started insertions and made out a schedule for training,” she said.