Family Planning
Science and scientists have gifted us with so many wonders which make our life comfortable and convenient. One such boon is-‘family planning or methods of family planning. It is a boon to the individual as well as the society. Family planning as the name suggest is to consciously plan the size of the family or the number of children a couple decides to have.
There are so many choices when it comes to little things in life. A choice in controlling something which is biological is heartening. There was a time when people had no choice in controlling the size of the family. Most of the couples had 13 to 14 children especially in India and other developing nations. So many children per family meant shortage of resources like food and clothing, especially in the times when British ruled us. That was during the time of our grandparents who had many brothers and sisters to share things with and sometimes, be deprived of basic necessities. Big families meant more burdens on the society due to excess population. India went through a long period of over-population and related problems. This population explosion had to be controlled for the welfare of the society and nation at large.
Though the scientific methods of family planning were prevalent in the west, it reached India very late and was very less accessible. Even, when methods like oral contraceptives, barrier methods, female sterilization, and vasectomy and so on were available there was a fear and hesitance in trying or accepting it. Slowly, it got acceptance in educated population. Then the government with the help of public awareness programmes and messages, advertised it on radio, newspapers and TV. (With the introduction of Doordarshan in India).The advertisements, explaining the importance of the use of scientific methods to have a small family and the right years of distance to be maintained between children were shown in cinema halls and are still shown in cinema halls(before the start of the films) as a part of social responsibility, campaign.
Today family planning stands accepted in majority of our population. Choosing the right method at different points of time, by couples and having a choice has made the population healthy and happy. The choice especially present to women now is a boon to them making them more confident and involved in the decision making process. Over the past thirty years family planning has helped to keep a check on the size of the family and the increase in population. The importance of small family is understood today and most of the families have two children. The methods available are safe and popularly used now, helping in birth control.
Both in India and China these methods have proved effective. Government hospitals. health workers. Non-government organizations (NGOs) and social workers have helped educate and create better awareness to make family planning successful.
Family planning has proved to be, indeed a boon to the society. in many ways contributing to the growth of the country.
