Prof. Sheereen Z Bhutta, points out that around 25 per cent of married women in Pakistan wish to consider family planning but hesitate to approach doctors. PHOTO: FILE
Even the educated people in our society does not opt for pre-marital counseling, said Professor Sadiah Ahsan Pal, a member of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan, while speaking at a seminar on health issues related to marriage at Jinnah hospital on Saturday.
The panelists stressed that certain medical procedures, such as screening for Thalassaemia and receiving Human Papilloma Virous vaccination, should be make compulsory for all couples before marriage by the government.
The vice-president of the society, Prof. Sheereen Z Bhutta, pointed out that around 25 per cent of married women in Pakistan wish to consider family planning but hesitate to approach doctors.
Many unplanned pregnancies result in abortions, which are dangerous for both, the mother and the child, she added. She pointed out that it was essential to raise awareness among the youth as Pakistan, which is the sixth most populous country in the world, is estimated to become the fourth most populated country by 2050.
Professor Pal went on to add that there are 890,000 abortions per year in Pakistan. Instead of using contraceptives, women use abortions to plan out their families, she lamented. According to her, at least 5.6 per cent of women who have abortions die during the process.
The president of Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Samrina Hashmi, who also spoke at the occasion, explained that around 200,000 women having abortions face complications. Dr Tasmeem Ahsan from Jinnah hospital added that the society must also shoulder some of the responsibility to raise awareness about birth control and contraceptives and not leave the entire situation to the health professionals.
A number of eminent doctors, students and members of the civil society, also attended the seminar.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2013.
COMMENTS (5)
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I am all for more advertising of contraceptives.
I'am pro choice. Let the woman decide what she wants to do, afterall it is her body.
This is so terrible. It is a crime to use birth pills but it isnt a crime to kill a unwanted life? Either you should abstain from the act or use contraceptive means to prevent getting pregnant. Why resort to murder?
Grammar check please.
Well after reading this article I have certainly realised that the society is looking for a cure to what they see visually and not finding out the reason for this disease in the first place. This is more like the You Only Live Once approach where we do not really decipher what the future would hold as a consequence towards our actions. For the readers here this might be alright to have an abortion considering the child as as non living before a certain time frame but to me this is an irresponsible act leading to playful murders of emotions, upbringing and physical lives for both the married and unmarried couples.
We have a lot to work on as if we want to see ourselves as a functional entity working towards the betterment of this society and the ones around us. Everyone can introduce contraceptives in the society as a tool to prevent unplanned pregnancies but what is the use of handing something to such people if they do not understand the financial, economical, physical & emotional concerns attached with it.
This calls for a large scale marketing not to promote some company but to promote the concept of contraception to reach out to masses. Further we are the society and we should also educate the ones around us so that they can spread the word around them and so on to make it a viral activity rather than holding it within and considering ourselves knowledgeable on the subject. What good is knowledge, wisdom and intelligence when you cannot spread it around.