Lesson 10 of 10 · 13 min

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Must-know facts

20 facts

1WHO: reproductive health is total well-being in physical, emotional, behavioural and social aspects of reproduction.
2India's family planning programmes began in 1951; today's broader ones are the RCH programmes.
3Amniocentesis tests amniotic fluid for genetic disorders; its use for sex determination is banned by law.
4Saheli: once-a-week, non-steroidal oral pill for females, developed at CDRI Lucknow.
5India: about 350 million at Independence, over 1.2 billion by May 2011; 2011 growth rate below 2% (20/1000/year).
6Legal marriageable age: 18 years for females, 21 years for males.
7Periodic abstinence avoids days 10-17 of the cycle, the fertile period.
8Lactational amenorrhea works only while the mother breast-feeds fully, up to at most six months after parturition.
9Condoms (e.g. Nirodh) also protect against STIs and AIDS; diaphragms, cervical caps and vaults cover the cervix and are reusable.
10IUDs: non-medicated (Lippes loop), copper (CuT, Cu7, Multiload 375), hormonal (Progestasert, LNG-20).
11IUDs raise phagocytosis of sperms; Cu ions cut sperm motility and fertilising capacity; hormone IUDs also block implantation and make the cervix hostile.
12Pills: progestogen or progestogen-estrogen, 21 days from within the first five days of the cycle, then a 7-day gap; they inhibit ovulation and implantation and alter cervical mucus.
13Emergency contraception: hormones or an IUD within 72 hours of coitus.
14Vasectomy cuts or ties the vas deferens; tubectomy cuts or ties the fallopian tube; both block gamete transport and are poorly reversible.
15India legalised MTP in 1971; up to 12 weeks needs one registered medical practitioner, 12-24 weeks needs two.
16MTP is relatively safe only in the first trimester (up to 12 weeks).
17Hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV are the STIs that are not completely curable; the rest are, if caught early.
18STI incidence is very high in the 15-24 years age group; complications include PID, still births, ectopic pregnancy, infertility and reproductive tract cancer.
19Infertility: no children after 2 years of unprotected cohabitation.
20ZIFT: zygote or embryo up to 8 blastomeres into the fallopian tube; IUT: more than 8 blastomeres into the uterus; GIFT: donor ovum into the fallopian tube; ICSI: sperm injected into the ovum; IUI: semen into the uterus.

Common traps

Where marks are lost

Saying sterilisation stops the formation of gametes.

Vasectomy and tubectomy only block gamete transport; testes and ovaries still make gametes and hormones.

Saying all IVF embryos are placed in the uterus.

Up to 8 blastomeres go to the fallopian tube (ZIFT); only embryos with more than 8 blastomeres go to the uterus (IUT).

Reading GIFT as transfer of a zygote or embryo.

GIFT transfers a gamete: a donor ovum placed in the fallopian tube, where fertilisation then happens inside the body.

Thinking every STI is curable with early treatment.

Hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV are not completely curable; the others are, if detected early and treated fully.

Blaming the female partner by default for infertility.

NCERT stresses that the problem very often lies with the male partner.

Believing breast-feeding prevents pregnancy for as long as it continues.

Lactational amenorrhea works only with full breast-feeding and only up to six months after parturition.

Saying copper IUDs block implantation.

Cu ions suppress sperm motility and fertilising capacity; blocking implantation is the extra action of hormone-releasing IUDs.

Calling Saheli a steroidal daily pill.

Saheli is non-steroidal and taken once a week.

Placing the MTP limit for one doctor's opinion at 24 weeks.

One registered medical practitioner up to 12 weeks; two are needed between 12 and 24 weeks.

Treating contraceptives as a regular requirement of reproductive health.

They are used against a natural event, only to prevent, delay or space pregnancy.

Key terms

20 terms

Reproductive health: Total well-being in all aspects of reproduction: physical, emotional, behavioural and social (WHO).
RCH programmes: Reproductive and Child Health Care programmes, the wider successors of India's family planning programmes.
Amniocentesis: Drawing some amniotic fluid to study foetal cells and dissolved substances for genetic disorders; banned for sex determination.
MMR and IMR: Maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate; their fall helped cause the population rise.
Fertile period: Days 10 to 17 of the menstrual cycle, when ovulation is expected and fertilisation is most likely.
Coitus interruptus: Withdrawal: the penis is withdrawn just before ejaculation to avoid insemination.
Lactational amenorrhea: Absence of menstruation during intense breast-feeding after birth; a natural method effective up to six months.
Barrier method: A contraceptive that physically keeps ovum and sperms apart, such as a condom, diaphragm, cervical cap or vault.
IUD: Intra-uterine device placed in the uterus through the vagina; non-medicated, copper-releasing or hormone-releasing.
Oral pill: Small doses of progestogens or progestogen-estrogen taken daily for 21 days; inhibits ovulation and implantation.
Emergency contraception: Hormones or an IUD used within 72 hours of coitus to avoid a possible pregnancy.
Vasectomy: Male sterilisation: a small part of the vas deferens removed or tied through a small cut in the scrotum.
Tubectomy: Female sterilisation: a small part of the fallopian tube removed or tied through the abdomen or vagina.
MTP: Medical termination of pregnancy: intentional ending of a pregnancy before full term; induced abortion.
STI: Sexually transmitted infection, also called venereal disease (VD) or reproductive tract infection (RTI).
PID: Pelvic inflammatory disease, a complication of untreated STIs.
Infertility: Inability to conceive or produce children after 2 years of unprotected sexual cohabitation.
ART: Assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF-ET, ZIFT, IUT, GIFT, ICSI and AI/IUI.
ZIFT: Zygote intra fallopian transfer: a zygote or embryo of up to 8 blastomeres placed in the fallopian tube.
GIFT: Gamete intra fallopian transfer: a donor ovum placed in the fallopian tube of a female who cannot produce ova.

Test yourself: 10 questionsExam-style questions on Reproductive Health, with full solutions.Start