6, March 2010
By Malathy Iyer
Mumbai, India
It promises freedom, not only from unwanted pregnancy but also the daily regimen of pill popping. Welcome to the latest contraceptive–the vaginal ring–a doit–yourself, hormone–oozing, flexible circular object now available in the country’s urban hubs.
In this country of 1.2 billion people, a huge number of pregnancies are unplanned. The National Family Health Survey–3 says 44% of India’s women of reproductive age don’t use any contraception. In such circumstances, the contraceptive market has huge potential. However, while some experts say the ring could be what the modern Indian woman is looking for, others say it would be economically out of reach of those who need it most.
The latest avatar of hormone–based contrace ptives needs to be vaginally inserted just once a month, instead of being orally taken daily, as in the case of the pill. It also has fewer side–effects.
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