Government to introduce emergency contraception soon

With a view to achieve the goal of population control and stabilisation by the year 2015, the Indian government will introduce emergency contraception in the eight states lagging behind in population control. Emergency contraception will be introduced as a part of the social marketing programme in eight states of UP, Bihar, MP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal, according to the Union Health Minister, Dr. C.P. Thakur. This programme will aim at supplementing the requirement of condoms in these states to substantiate their birth control programme and thus strive to stabilise their population. Free condoms will be distributed in these states for the next three years to promote family planning.The government has already finalised the modalities for introduction of injectible emergency contraceptives in at least 12 medical colleges in these states as a pilot project. Dr. Thakur also suggested that coercion was not a way of population control and programmes like two-child norm can never be forced on the public. Instead, the government should focus on providing advanced health care services to people which would automatically lead to a raise in the standard of living and would bring the population under control.Emergency contraceptives are may be pills or injections that are given within 72 hours of unprotected sex to prevent fertilisation or implantation of the egg. Most countries have legalised the use of emergency contraceptives, but there are some who permit this only in cases where the pregnancy is a threat to the woman's life or is a result of rape.