Unwanted pregnancies on the rise

An unexpected effect of working from home is a dramatic increase in abortions

With couples cooped up at home, conceptions are on the rise, doctors say.

According to health officials, sterilisation procedures came down by 27 per cent over the past year in Bengaluru Urban district. Abortions, among married and unmarried couples, have shot up by 30 to 40 per cent. A definite number is unavailable because it is difficult to collate the rate of abortions that take place in small clinics, apart from other public and private hospitals and using telemedicine.

A silver lining is that several women being treated for infertility have conceived spontaneously.

Temporary measures to prevent pregnancies, such as the use of intra-uterine contraceptive device (IUCD), Chaya tablets and injectable contraceptives such as Antara, have increased since 2020, according to Dr BR Chandrika, Karnataka’s deputy director for family welfare. “We had a poor turnout of patients for sterilisation till November last year. Most people put off the procedure for fear of the pandemic, and hospitals and staff were directed towards Covid-19 management,” she told Metrolife.

Although the fear has subsided, couples are still content with temporary contraception, she says.

The health and family welfare department has not been able to conduct regular camps to spread awareness about family planning methods.

“We don’t set a target, but we haven’t been able to do even half as much as what we normally do every year,” Chandrika says.

Dr Thejavathy G V, consultant gynecologist, confirms the increased cases of unwanted pregnancies. “People go in for medical abortion, in which early pregnancy is aborted by using medication. People buying drugs for termination of pregnancy over the counter has increased. But this has adverse side effects as such incomplete abortion, developing infection and irregular prolonged bleeding which leads to anemia. Since women were not able to reach their doctors, some of the more educated ones used telemedicine and took advice on the phone,” she says.

The number of pregnancies went up in 2020 and cases continue to stream in, says Dr Thejavathy. “People are still working from home and naturally there has been more conception,” she says.

A teen couple wanted termination of unwanted pregnancy, says Dr Hemavathi Srinivasan, consultant, maternal and fetal medicine.

“The girl was 18 and the boy 19. When the girl is a major we don’t need parents’ consent. We have been counselling couples in such cases,” says Hemavathi. A girl is considered a major at 18.

People opting for temporary contraceptive measures have increased and a three month contraception injection is the preferred choice.

“Medical termination of pregnancies comes with its own complications such as irregular menstrual cycles and mid-cycle bleeding. Women are being treated for these side-effects as well,” says Hemavathi.

Good news

In the past few months, several women being treated for infertility have conceived spontaneously, without any medical help. “I think staying at home and eating healthy has led to a better lifestyle sans any stress. But weight again and obesity has led to menstrual irregularities and Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),” says Dr G V Thejavathy, consultant gynaecologist.