Pregnancy Care & Infertility Issues Faced by Indian Women

India is a developing Asian country and also the second most populous place in the globe with more than 1.2 billion people living in it. According to a report penned by an online library in September 2019, the Indian government has taken some positive steps and initiative to support maternal healthcare and newborn care programs. This is made possible by strategic funding via rural health development and primary social health activist groups. Despite these efforts, the maternal and newborn mortality rate continues to be high, especially in rural areas. 

The main problem faced by the Indian health care system is the inability to recognize and meet the healthcare requirements of expecting women. Failing to educate their families on providing quality maternal care adds to the problem. A news portal that conducted a pregnancy care study claims that only 16 percent of the rural women receive pregnancy care as against 31 percent of women living in urban areas. Indian families continue to celebrate the occasion of birth while neglecting their duty to provide proper pre-pregnancy as well as post-pregnancy care for the pregnant female members. 

Pregnancy Issues and Maternal Morbidity 

Even if families manage to offer pregnancy support and gain access to medical centers, everything is not covered. Often pregnant women with health complications such as pulmonary hypertension, cardiac troubles, and gestational diabetes are left to manage on their own without proper medical attention. 

Maternal morbidity hints at desperate need for counseling of expecting women who suffer domestic violence during their pregnancy period. Such women show symptoms of physical and mental disorders due to constant abuse at the hands of their families. 

A screening conducted for 2515 pregnant women revealed that 408 women were subjected to domestic violence. Some of these women received counseling (155 women). After understanding the grave dynamics of domestic abuse and violence, almost 50 percent of those who got counseling took concrete action to combat the domestic violence and almost 84 percent of women started taking better care of themselves. 

Female Infertility 

Female infertility is also a public health issue in India. Millions of Indian women are not able to access or afford high-quality sexual and reproductive health care treatment. As per infertility statistics, over thirty million Indians face infertility issues. In rural areas, women who are not able to conceive are treated badly by society. Childless women are ostracized by society and thousands are driven out of their homes. Yet, the Indian community is not ready to openly discuss women-centric gynecological problems and create a sense of awareness in the people. 

City bred and educated Indian women are finding it difficult to juggle between their competitive jobs and raising kids. Owing to this confusion, more and more women want to delay their pregnancy. Such lifestyle changes have given rise to age-related infertility problems. Delaying pregnancy can affect the ovarian reserve and complicate matters by making things stressful when they wish to conceive. 

Reputed gynecologists feel that educating the women and their families on related gynecological subjects is very important. Correct diagnosis, regular treatment, and adequate care during and after childbirth can make a significant difference in improving the standards of maternal health care in India.