Reproductive health is the complete wellness of the physical and mental aspects concerning the reproductive characteristics. It deals with the well-being of the reproductive processes, functions, and features at all stages of life. Accurate information about sexual life, reproduction, and various methods of contraception should be broadcasted as part of general awareness. One can protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and infections by being well-informed about the health of the reproductive system. The well-being of women during pregnancy is often overlooked. Access to proper medical services in pregnant women is essential for the safe delivery of a healthy baby
Reproductive health is a universal concern and a crucial part of health that forms the center of human development. It mirrors one’s life right from childhood, adolescence until adulthood and sets a platform for the wellness much beyond the reproductive years in both men and women. The health of the newborn is inherently dependant upon the well-being of the mother.
Elements Of Reproductive Health
Listed below are a few components of the reproductive health:
- Sexual Health
- Maternal Health
The health of women needs to be maintained right from the onset of menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth until she reaches menopause and even beyond that.
- Family Planning
This approach is devised for the wellness of the women and her family, globally. Various contraceptive methods help in dealing with unwanted pregnancies. Few other schemes under family planning are – awareness and the protection against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS
Obstacles And Approaches
The commonly related concerns of reproductive health are:
- Population explosion
- Disfigurements
- Poor health of the pregnant mother and hence the baby’s ill health
- Marriage before adolescence
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- The increased death rate of pregnant mothers and the fetus
How To Improve Reproductive Health?
Some of the ways to improve reproductive health are as follows:
- Awareness of sex education
- Enlightening the youth about unsafe sexual practices and repercussions of early marriage and hence pregnancy
- Apart from awareness about contraception, pregnancy, infertility, childbirth care, etc, it is also necessary to be backed with adequate medical facilities to be able to deal with such conditions.
- The ban on female infanticide needs to be practised.
Importance Of Reproductive Health
It is essential to know the importance of reproductive health as it checks the spread of many sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis, AIDS, etc. The well-being of the reproductive system also ensures the production of better offspring which have better chances at surviving. Spreading awareness about sex education helps keep a check on the population, thereby preventing a population explosion. Teen pregnancies are usually unwanted and can hence be avoided, thereby keeping a check on their overall health. Through awareness alone, reproductive health has improved tremendously in India, in the past 50 years. Knowledge of the benefits of smaller families through the use of contraceptives has proven to result in the economic growth of the family.
Various schemes and programmes are being implemented by the government to ensure and provide proper health care services with a vision of reducing the mortality rate and promoting a better standard of living in the country.
For more information on reproductive health and related topics in biology, please register at BYJU’S.
Related Links:
| Reproductive Health and Adolescence |
| AIDS |
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