condoms and contraceptive pills

Condoms Yes Or No – Making Non-Egoistic Choice

I had come across a very shocking story recently. A girl in her early twenties already had three daughters and a few abortions. She was unsure about how many more were to come! When she was asked for the reason behind such tragic life she said that her existence is to produce babies. Shocking! Isn’t it?

Making a right and unbiased choice is just! Remember you have a ‘CHOICE’, whether it’s about taking a decision on Selecting your partner, Having Sex or Planning your Family. Here is a question which pops up in my mind. “Why do many Indian men say no to using condom as a preventive measure and force their partners to gulp an i-Pill?” Though it is a personal choice, my sociological mind tickles with this inquisitiveness.

Figures of the Health Ministry show that condom use has dropped by 38% in five years. 26 million condoms were sold in 2006-07 which reduced to 16 million in 2010-11 as reported by The Times of India. According to Hindustan Times, intake of contraceptive pills and intrauterine devices has increased. In rural India, 84 million women opted for pills in 2011 as compared to around 70 million in 2006.      

Let’s look at the usage of both – a condom and a pill from a more scientific and rational point of view. There are lots of disadvantages associated with the usage of pills. It leads to the risk of blood clot and might add on to weight. The Estrogen in the pill also makes the girl to throw up often and might make things dry down there which might lead to irritation later. Talking about condoms, there are absolutely no side effects. A research shows that men don’t like it because they feel uncomfortable, but they do not gain weight, do not throw up nor have mood swings. Though there are a few cases where the condom slips in or breaks, in that case taking a pill would help you.

A gynecologist Dr. Pushpa S. Sewani also agrees to us and what the research shows. She is totally against using the emergency i-pills and chooses to rather replace it with condoms. Pills bring in hormonal imbalance while the condoms not only do not have side effects but also prevents you from the Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s).

The only remark which can be made here is – ‘Why put yourself potentially at risk when you can just use a condom?’

The problem lies in the lack of communication. A wife struggles to discuss the contraceptive measures to be used by her husband. Though the educated urban women is coming forward towards using contraception for her sake but the rural women till date, pops a pill instead of asking her husband to use a condom. Does this point out in any case that condoms have male ego attached to them?

The questions that I would like to end with –

  • When will a woman be able to discuss contraceptives with her partner?
  • When will she stand up for her health and make realize the same to her partner that he should be too!
  • When will she be heard and respected for the use of condoms rather than pills?
  • When will a man leave his egoistic opinions on her for a while and make contraception become a decision of both rather than his sole decision?

These Questions need to be answered… and sadly, its again on us, we Women have to answer them and make the difference in the society. Hope This World’s Aids Day, we make a difference!!

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