Experts say awareness about contraceptives has helped check unwanted pregnancies after festivities; chemists see higher sales Navratri is fast approaching and the thought foremost on everyone's mind must be the rise in number of abortions, after the festivities. However, if city doctors are to be believed, then there has been a sharp decline in this trend.u00a0 <table style="width: 94px; height: 42px" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="94" align="right" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="/imagedata/2010/oct/navratri.jpg" border="0" /></td></tr> <tr> <td> Playing it safe: Girls are more aware about contraceptives and are using them to avoid unwanted pregnancies. File pic</td></tr></tbody></table>Doctors said there has been a decline in the number of abortions in the last two years, especially as awareness about contraception and emergency pills has increased. Dr Meenu Agarwal, consultant gynaecologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, said not many girls had come in for abortions in the last two years, unlike previous years. "Maybe they are behaving themselves. It's a fact that teenagers are smarter now, and they know about the various methods of contraception. Even if they forget to use condoms, there are emergency pills which girls know they can use. However, we would advise against it and recommend a doctor's prescripition instead," she said. Doctors regularly tracking the trend in the city for the past few years said that youngsters, particularly girls, are driving the reverse trend. "The girls have taken charge and are much more demanding about contraception and making good use of it. They rarely get pregnant accidentally and even discuss various contraceptives with partners," said Dr Meenakshi Deshpande, panel consultant at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital and director of Vatsalya hospital. Another positive sign according to gynaecologists is that girls have started enquiring about contraception days before the planned encounters. "Emergency pills can have negative side-effects such as hormonal imbalances. That's why they consult us beforehand. We advise strictly against consuming pills. The best preventive measure in such situations is condoms as they not only check pregnancy but also prevent sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, gonorrhea among others," said Dr Mukta Umarji, secretary of Pune Obstetric and Gynaecological Society. Chemists stock up Retail chemists across the city are stocking up on both emergency contraceptive pills and condoms. "The sale of emergency contraception was down the last couple of months. Now that the festive season is here we expect better sales. In fact, condoms might also sell better, for which we are all stocking up," said Raju Jain, owner of Vijay Medical Stores in Camp.

Experts say awareness about contraceptives has helped check unwanted pregnancies after festivities; chemists see higher sales

Post-Navratri abortions on wane: doctors

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Post-Navratri abortions on wane: doctors

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