Need for Regulatory Reforms to improve contraceptive access and workforce participation

Over the years, India has made significant leap in access to family planning. Access to family planning has a multifaceted impact.

India’s family planning landscape has long been dominated by female sterilization which accounts for 67 percent of the modern contraceptive use.

Despite ongoing efforts to diversify family planning methods, as per latest round of NFHS-5, under 5% women rely on oral contraceptives, that is mostly supplied by the public distribution system through the ASHA workers.

This disparity is particularly concerning given that younger women, especially those aged 18-29, would benefit from newer OCP formulations that are better suited to their health needs.

The full article on the need for policy reforms to improve access to contraceptives in India can be found here.