Reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, emotional, behavioural, and social well-being in all matters related to the reproductive system and its functions, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
Definitions [4]
Define amniocentesis.
It is a technique in which amniotic fluid is withdrawn from the uterus of a pregnant lady and the amniotic cells are cultured and studied for cytological observations to determine any chromosomal abnormalities.
Definition: Reproductive Health
Definition: Population Explosion
A population explosion means very rapid growth of the population, much faster than economic growth. In India, this has mostly happened because of a high birth rate and a much lower death rate in recent times.
Definition: Induced Abortion or Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP)
Intentional or voluntary termination of pregnancy before full term is called medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) or induced abortion.
Key Points
Key Points: Reproductive Health
- Reproductive health, as defined by WHO, refers to complete physical, emotional, behavioural, and social well-being in all aspects related to reproduction.
- India’s Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) programmes aim to promote reproductive health through family planning, maternal and child care, awareness creation, and access to medical facilities.
- Education and awareness, including sex education for adolescents, help prevent myths, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), unsafe practices, and promote hygienic and responsible sexual behaviour.
- Preventive measures such as menstrual hygiene, genital cleanliness, planned parenthood, immunisation, and statutory bans on sex determination are essential for a healthy society.
- Sexually transmitted diseases like syphilis and gonorrhoea adversely affect reproductive health, highlighting the need for early diagnosis, treatment, and improved medical infrastructure.
Key Points: Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) or Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)
Key Points: Infertility
- Infertility is the inability of a couple to conceive despite regular, unprotected intercourse, and it may arise due to defects in the male partner, female partner, or both.
- Male infertility commonly results from poor sperm production or quality, such as oligospermia (low sperm count), azoospermia (absence of sperms), asthenozoospermia (poor motility), or teratozoospermia (abnormal structure).
- Female infertility may be caused by poor egg production, hormonal imbalance, defects in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, or improper functioning of fimbriae.
- Mechanical or physiological barriers, such as blockage of reproductive passages or thick cervical mucus, may prevent the meeting of sperm and egg, leading to infertility.
- Diagnosis and treatment involve identifying the underlying cause through medical tests and treating it by hormonal therapy, surgery, immunosuppressive drugs, or lifestyle modifications under medical supervision.
