Lifestyle change, fear of pain push rural women in Karnataka to C-section

Bengaluru: C-section deliveries are on a steady rise in both private and government hospitals, especially in rural areas, according to statewide data accessed by DH.

As per data till September in the 2025-26 financial year, as many as 63 per cent of deliveries in private hospitals were C-sections while the corresponding figure for government facilities stood at 40 per cent. The figures were 60 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, in the 2022-23 fiscal.

While there is a general perception that C-sections are higher in urban areas, lifestyle changes have pushed up their number in rural areas as well, data showed.

For instance, several districts in North Karnataka have recorded a higher rate of C-sections than Bengaluru Urban district.

Senior officials in the health department opined that lifestyle changes coupled with a decrease in pain threshold has resulted in the rise in C-section deliveries.

“The lifestyle in rural areas has also changed significantly over the years. Sedentary lifestyle, malnutrition resulting from consumption of junk food, high BMI, hypertension and diabetes among women result in high-risk pregnancies. When there are such underlying conditions, chances of a C-section is high,” said Dr Rajkumar N, deputy director, maternal health, health department.

Doctors in rural areas opined that pain threshold among women has decreased and many women choose C-section assuming it is safer than normal delivery. “We have seen many women who would have heard about their ancestors suffering or dying during a normal delivery and this would have had an impact. Now, when they know medical science has advanced and C-section is safe, many of them request us to perform it rather than waiting for delivery pain,” said a doctor.

In urban areas, there are new issues that have resulted in a higher rate of C-section deliveries, doctors said.

“Urban women tend to delay pregnancy due to career or education, and older mothers have higher risk of complications and end up with C-section deliveries,” said Dr Tasneem Nishah Shah, lead consultant, obstetrics and gynaecology and robotic surgery at a well-known hospital in Whitefield.

Many of them also schedule the delivery based on auspicious timing and date, doctors pointed out. That apart, women are also worried about sexual pleasure postpartum, doctors said.

“Many of them think that a normal vaginal birth could reduce sexual pleasure postpartum and are concerned about it. There is a misconception that sexual life will not be satisfactory after normal delivery. Such factors combined with fear of pain pushes many young mothers to opt for a planned C-section delivery,” said Dr Pranathi Aravind, senior consultant, department of obstetrics and gynaecology at a hospital in Kengeri.