The pattern of supply, distribution and use of oral contraceptive pill in rural areas in Uttar Pradesh
Singh, R.P.
Popcen News Letter. Population Centre 5(6): 7-10
1980
PMID: 12264614 Document Number: 468307
The Population Center in Lucknow, India attempted a detailed study on various aspects of oral contraceptive (OC) distribution, its effectiveness, and pattern of use. Only the aspects related with OC distribution and effectiveness are reported here. The study was conducted in the rural area of the Lucknow district. The 8 Primary Health Centers (PHCs) were grouped into 2 groups: with completely rural population and with part of the population rural. The selected PHCs were Gosainganj and Mali having rural population and Malihabad and Sarojani Nagar having a part urban population. Most of the supply is given to auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) who in turn are responsible for distribution to the consumers, but only a fraction of them are distributing OCs. Of those who are distributing OCs, their distribution is as low as 3 cycles a month in rural PHCs and 4.3 cycles a month in rural-urban PHCs. The ANMs reported the problem of regularity of supply of OC, indicating that they had fewer cases because they could not supply OCs regularly to the couples. A good fraction of OC cycles were being distributed in the women's hospital. The doctors there prescribed OCs and they were generally accepted by the clients. These hospitals have potential for increasing OC use. Only 62% of the OCs distributed in rural PHCs were effectively used; the remainder was wasted. In the rural-urban PHCs, the wastage was as high at 50% of the OCs distributed. OC users were using this contraceptive method in order not to have any more children. They had an average of 4.1 children living. Their average age was 30.9 years; 84% were Hindus and 64% were illiterate. The need exists to emphasize this program among the workers and to publicize it sufficiently so that clients are aware of it. There is a need to build a strong supply line of this method, for regularity of use is criticalin the effectiveness of this method.