Contraception

Birth control in HIV: What women can safely use and what doctors warn about

HIV-positive women have several safe birth-control options, but viral load, ART interactions, treatment stability still guide what doctors recommend for reliable contraception and partner protection

Denmark to compensate its women, but forced birth control was global

From India's Emergency-era sterilisation drives to Peru's rural women, Denmark's apology for forced contraception highlights a troubling global history of reproductive abuse

Denmark apologises to Greenland for forced birth control: What's behind it?

A report released this month revealed that 4,070 Greenlandic women and girls had contraceptive devices inserted by the end of 1970 without informed consent

Dr Étienne-Émile Baulieu, French scientist behind abortion pill, dead at 98

Dr Baulieu, the French scientist who developed the abortion pill and spent decades defending women's reproductive rights, has died at 98, leaving behind a legacy of scientific courage

Newly married couples get contraceptives at mass wedding in MP; sparks row

Couples were shocked to receive contraceptives as part of the administration's initiatives to spread awareness on family planning

New gene discovery could lead to effective, reversible male contraceptive

Researchers have identified a gene in multiple mammalian species that could pave the way for a highly effective, reversible and non-hormonal male contraceptive for humans and animals. The team at Washington State University (WSU) in the US identified expression of the gene, Arrdc5, in the testes of mice, pigs, cattle and humans. When they knocked out the gene in mice, it created infertility only in the males, impacting their sperm count, movement and shape. "The study identifies this gene for the first time as being expressed only in testicular tissue, nowhere else in the body, and it's expressed by multiple mammalian species," said Jon Oatley, a professor in WSU's School of Molecular Biosciences. "When this gene is inactivated or inhibited in males, they make sperm that cannot fertilise an egg, and that's a prime target for male contraceptive development," said Oatley, senior author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications. While other molecular targets have bee

Lack of awareness about contraception among reasons for spike in population

As India is on the brink of surpassing China to become the most populous country in the world, experts cite lack of literacy, awareness regarding contraception and abortions and economic factors among reasons for the spike in the population. According to data from the National Family Health Survey, more abortions take place in urban areas, which is 4 per cent, compared to 2.5 per cent in rural areas. The data stated that 1.9 per cent women with no schooling background went for abortions while 3.5 per women with 10-11 years of education opted for it. The plans of making her daughter a doctor changed for Chaaya Devi after she had two more children. "Children are god's gift but what if you don't have money to raise them and it leaves your other children suffering too," said the 25-year-old, a mother of three children. Devi, who is expecting her fourth child, works as a domestic help in Noida. She now worries about how to ensure a good life for her children. "I consulted a government

UN report: Many women in poor nations can''t say, "No sex"

Many women in poor nations can't say, 'no sex': UN study on bodily autonomy

Peaking population

India must prepare for the social implications of declining fertility

Understanding contraception: Proactive approach vs fatalistic mindset

Adopt safer method of contraception rather than leaving it to destiny

Myths about contraception aren't the only roadblocks to a healthier India

Delayed adoption of the latest contraceptives in the country's public health system, lack of awareness on the most suitable type of birth control measures are other hindrances