Injectable contraceptive: A shot in the arm for women’s autonomy
by The Daily Eye Team December 5 2016, 4:08 pm Estimated Reading Time: 0 mins, 48 secsTo every solution, there is a problem. This seems to be the dictum followed by many in our country and the case of the injectable contraceptive is no exception. So, we see a certain amount of hysteria as the government signals its rollout of the injectable Deoxy Medroxy Progestrone Acetate (DPMA) in government medical colleges and district hospitals. This will afford women protection from pregnancy for three months and will be one more in the basket of choices on offer in the reproductive health programme.
Now you will ask, does it have side-effects? Yes, it does as do many drugs. It can case loss of bone density, menstrual irregularity and fatigue. But it also gives women autonomy over their reproductive choices. There is nothing clandestine in the manner in which this injectable has been introduced. The Drug Technical Advisory Body has cleared it and it has the support of a coalition of 32 non-governmental organisations.