(Repeating yesterday's DI7)

New Delhi, Oct 2 (UNI) Advocating Reproductive Choices, a leading coalition of organisations working in the reproductive health sector has called for inclusion of Emergency Contraceptives in the government's Social Marketing umbrella to increase its awareness and availability to people especially the poor.

The Emergency Contraceptive also known as 'Morning After' pills, is a post-coital method effective to prevent unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sex. Its inclusion in the government marketing programme would ensure availability and wide distribution for the low income groups who are unable to utilise the high cost option resulting in unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortions and population growth, the ARC said.

Taking a far-sighted decision, the Health Ministry last year had allowed sale of Emergency Contraceptives without doctor's prescription directly by the chemists. The United States drug authority, FDA, also approved it in August this year as over- the-counter (OTC) option to persons 18 years of age and above and as a prescription drug for those below 18 years of age.

These contraceptives will be made available in the US with rigorous labelling, packaging, education, distribution and monitoring programme.

However, women in India continue to wait for the government to fulfil its promise of making low-priced Emergency Contraceptives widely accessible through the social marketing route, reproductive experts said.

The "Consortium on Emergency Contraceptives in India" organised jointly by AIIMS and WHO-CCR had also said that Emergency Contraception requires aggressive promotion.

''Emergency contraception plays a unique role in providing women a second chance to prevent unwanted pregnancies. If popularised adequately amongst women and providers, it can greatly help to reduce the complications arising from unsafe and illegal abortions, often reported by women availing back street abortions and then coming to Marie Stopes/Parivar Seva Clinics in different parts of the country for affordable and quality abortions. It is also our experience that most women opting for EC also decide to take a regular contraception, which we are able to provide in our clinics,'' said Sudha Tewari of NGO Parivar Seva.

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