Mumbai: Two new oral contraceptive pills for women will be soon launched in Maharashtra to increase birth control options. Centchroman, a non-hormonal pill, will be available in government-run medical facilities in a few weeks while Progestin-Only Pills (POP) will be made available in six months.
Experts said this will go a long way in boosting family planning. Dr. Archana Patil, Additional Director, State Family Welfare Bureau, said, “Centchroman pills has already been procured while a pilot project for POP is on in Nashik.
At present, couples can choose from condoms, oral pills, injectable contraceptives, Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCD) and sterilisation procedures like vasectomy and tubectomy. The new oral contraceptives will help for women who are breastfeeding or are experiencing hormonal imbalance. While Centchroman is non-hormonal and non-steroidal, POP contain very low doses of the synthetic hormone progestin, similar to the naturally-produced progesterone in women.
“Centchroman will be sold under the name Çhhaya in the State. Every woman has an individual health profile, so it all depends on which contraceptive suits whom. More choices are always beneficial,” Dr. N.D. Deshmukh, Assistant Director, Family Planning, Maharashtra, said.
While oral contraceptives are considered safe and effective, data put out by the Indian Institute of Population Sciences says their use in India is merely 4% of contraceptive measures. Tubectomy or female sterilisation, is still the highest at 34%, while only 1% of men opt for vasectomy and 6% of couples rely on condoms.
“We call it the cafeteria approach, in which a woman can pick and choose. So it always helps to have more options,” Dr. Suchitra Pandit, a gynaecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, said. “POPs are also useful for those with heart problems and hypertension, among others. One has to take the pill as prescribed for it to be effective.”
She added that women on POP may complain of feeling bloated and show slight depressive tendencies with.
“In Centchroman’s case, earlier studies have shown high failure rates but newer ones show better results. This pill too works for women who are breastfeeding, or have obesity-related problems.”