Planning happy family at woman’s cost
Saturday, 16 June 2007
Shikder Sohana Ferdoush
Razia Akhtar, a mother of three children, does not like taking contraceptive pills. The pills do not suit her. But she has little option as her husband is dead against using condoms. Razia, a middle-class woman, has never discussed the subject with her husband.
"How can I discuss it with him? It does not sound nice for a good woman," says the woman in her 30s.
Twenty-two-year-old Aklima Khatun has two daughters. She too takes contraceptive pills as her husband has refused to use condoms. The husband tells her he does not enjoy wearing the sheath. The pills are affecting Aklima's health. "I went to a doctor who asked me not to take the pills. But my husband does not listen to me," mutters Aklima.
The condition of the two women does not surprise many in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has pursued birth control measures since the early 1950s. But, according to experts, women are credited for whatever progress has so far been made in this field. The success would have been greater had men cooperated more.
Women, who bear the main burden of family planning, have no say in making a decision in this regard. The decision is rather imposed upon them by men. If the family planning campaign in Bangladesh is a success that is largely because of women. Also the women bear the brunt of ill health and bad side-effects caused by the contraceptives they are forced to use even though those do not suit their health.
Irregular menstruation, headache, loss of weight, depression, loss of appetite and fatigue are some of the common health problems women suffer because of long use of contraceptives.
The tendency not to wear condoms by men also exposes women to HIV virus that causes fatal AIDS. Experts say it is difficult for women to determine whether their men are totally faithful to them, especially those who make foreign trips. Condom can be a protection for the possible dangers. But men are unwilling in this regard. They are in no mood to help their women.
Female contraceptives are pills, sterilisation, Norplant, injection and IIUD. For men there are condoms and vasectomy surgery.
A recent seminar at the Press Institute of Bangladesh was told that in Bangladesh only 0.5 percent men have undergone vasectomy and 4.3 percent use condoms. The seminar heard that there is wide discrimination against women in the use of birth control measures.
However, there are men who understand the problem women face. One of them is Mohammad Hasan Shafiq, 34, who believes that the use of contraceptives is a matter of sharing between husband and wife. He says he and his wife discuss the methods that are most suitable to them.
"Why shall I not use condom if that helps my wife and keep her healthy," wonders Shafi. He says those who force their wives to adopt a particular method despite being harmful to her health are very wrong.
The use of contraceptives has increased to 54 percent among the fertile couples and only 15 percent has gone for a permanent method. Most couples are on temporary methods in a country where about nine lakh doses of injection, seven million oral pills and 16 million condoms are on demand.
Dr. Yasmin H Ahmed, Managing Director at Marry Stopes Clinic Society, says, "Men can play a vital role in women's reproductive health. We need a special campaign to encourage men to take the responsibility on themselves rather than pushing it to the women. We must take steps to reduce risks for women."
However, she continues: "In a male-dominated society like ours women have little power to make decision in the family. They are just dependents on men."
Bangladesh aims to cut down the fertility rate from 3.3 percent to 2.2 percent by 2005. In order to achieve that goal, the rate of contraceptive use has to be raised to 72 percent, which is a very difficult task, though not impossible.
— NewsNetwork
Razia Akhtar, a mother of three children, does not like taking contraceptive pills. The pills do not suit her. But she has little option as her husband is dead against using condoms. Razia, a middle-class woman, has never discussed the subject with her husband.
"How can I discuss it with him? It does not sound nice for a good woman," says the woman in her 30s.
Twenty-two-year-old Aklima Khatun has two daughters. She too takes contraceptive pills as her husband has refused to use condoms. The husband tells her he does not enjoy wearing the sheath. The pills are affecting Aklima's health. "I went to a doctor who asked me not to take the pills. But my husband does not listen to me," mutters Aklima.
The condition of the two women does not surprise many in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has pursued birth control measures since the early 1950s. But, according to experts, women are credited for whatever progress has so far been made in this field. The success would have been greater had men cooperated more.
Women, who bear the main burden of family planning, have no say in making a decision in this regard. The decision is rather imposed upon them by men. If the family planning campaign in Bangladesh is a success that is largely because of women. Also the women bear the brunt of ill health and bad side-effects caused by the contraceptives they are forced to use even though those do not suit their health.
Irregular menstruation, headache, loss of weight, depression, loss of appetite and fatigue are some of the common health problems women suffer because of long use of contraceptives.
The tendency not to wear condoms by men also exposes women to HIV virus that causes fatal AIDS. Experts say it is difficult for women to determine whether their men are totally faithful to them, especially those who make foreign trips. Condom can be a protection for the possible dangers. But men are unwilling in this regard. They are in no mood to help their women.
Female contraceptives are pills, sterilisation, Norplant, injection and IIUD. For men there are condoms and vasectomy surgery.
A recent seminar at the Press Institute of Bangladesh was told that in Bangladesh only 0.5 percent men have undergone vasectomy and 4.3 percent use condoms. The seminar heard that there is wide discrimination against women in the use of birth control measures.
However, there are men who understand the problem women face. One of them is Mohammad Hasan Shafiq, 34, who believes that the use of contraceptives is a matter of sharing between husband and wife. He says he and his wife discuss the methods that are most suitable to them.
"Why shall I not use condom if that helps my wife and keep her healthy," wonders Shafi. He says those who force their wives to adopt a particular method despite being harmful to her health are very wrong.
The use of contraceptives has increased to 54 percent among the fertile couples and only 15 percent has gone for a permanent method. Most couples are on temporary methods in a country where about nine lakh doses of injection, seven million oral pills and 16 million condoms are on demand.
Dr. Yasmin H Ahmed, Managing Director at Marry Stopes Clinic Society, says, "Men can play a vital role in women's reproductive health. We need a special campaign to encourage men to take the responsibility on themselves rather than pushing it to the women. We must take steps to reduce risks for women."
However, she continues: "In a male-dominated society like ours women have little power to make decision in the family. They are just dependents on men."
Bangladesh aims to cut down the fertility rate from 3.3 percent to 2.2 percent by 2005. In order to achieve that goal, the rate of contraceptive use has to be raised to 72 percent, which is a very difficult task, though not impossible.
— NewsNetwork