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Population control is a practice, to control the number of people in a country or in the world. The Indian government has tried to control the population with the help of the Reproductive Child Health (RCH) program but could bring down the population only by 2%. Therefore they were taking other initiatives like educating people about the advantages of having a small family. The government also offered certain intensives to couples with small families of 2 children or fewer.
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Keyterms: Population, Reproductive health, RCH, Health, Population explosion, Death rate, Maternal mortality rate, Infant mortality rate, Mortality rate
Population Explosion
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The rapid increase in the population of humans within a short period of time is called population explosion. The quality and status of life have improved over the centuries. People have adapted to a better lifestyle and gained knowledge on how to maintain good health. Thus this leads to a decrease in the death rate and an increase in the infant mortality rate.
Due to the advancements in technology in the field of health care, people are getting better medical attention to treat diseases and injuries. Therefore the mortality rate has declined and the birth rate has increased. Therefore, the major reasons for the population explosion are rapid decline in death rate, the maternal mortality rate (MMR), and infant mortality rate (IMR).
Population Control with Contraceptive Methods
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Contraceptive methods help to prevent unwanted pregnancies without interfering with the sexual drive and desire of the user. There are various contraceptive methods that are widely available. The best contraceptives are those which are easily available, user-friendly, effective, and reversible with no or least side effects.
Some of the contraceptive methods have been explained below:
Natural/Traditional Method
The natural methods of contraceptives are based on the principle of preventing the chances of meeting the sperm and the ovum. There are 3 natural ways to do so.
- Periodic Abstinence- The day 10-17 of the menstrual cycle is considered to be the fertile period. During this time, the chances of fertilization are very high. Therefore, couples should avoid coitus during this period.
- Coitus Interruptus/WIthdrawal- It is a contraceptive method in which the male partner should remove his penis from the vagina just before ejaculation to avoid insemination.
- Lactational Amenorrhea- During the period of lactation, women do not have a menstrual cycle for a period of about 6 months. So the chances of fertilization are nil at this period.
Barrier Method
In this method, a barrier is used to prevent the sperm from meeting the ova physically. These barriers are available for both men and women. Some of the barriers used in this barrier method are:
- Condoms- There are rubber or latex sheaths which cover the penis in the males or the cervix in the female. It is used during the coitus so that the ejaculated semen does not enter the female reproductive tract. Condoms also protect the user from contracting STIs and AIDS. An example of female condoms is Nirodh.
- Diaphragms, Cervical Caps, and Vaults- These are devices, made up of rubber and are inserted into the female reproductive tract. They prevent the entry of sperms by covering the cervix during coitus. Some spermicidal creams, foams, and jellied are used with these barriers to increase contraceptive efficiency.
Intrauterine Devices (IUDs)
IUDs are devices that are inserted into the uterus through the vagina with the help of doctors or expert nurses. They create unsuitable conditions in the uterus for the survival of the sperm or for implantation. IUDs are the most widely accepted contraceptive in India and are considered an ideal contraceptive for females who want to delay their pregnancy.
Some of the IUDs present in the market are:
- Non-medicated IUDs - These IUDs cause a minor tissue injury in the uterus that leads to phagocytosis of the sperm as an inflammatory response. Examples of this IUD include Lippes Loop.
- Copper Releasing IUDs - These IUDs suppress the sperm motility and the fertilizing capacity of sperm by releasing copper ions in the uterus. Examples include CuT, Cu7, Multiload 375, etc.
- Hormone Releasing IUDs - These IUDs release a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone, that halts the menstrual cycle and ovulation. This IUD makes the uterus unsuitable for implantation and the cervix as opposed to the sperms. Examples include Progestasert, LNG-20, etc.
Oral Contraceptives
- Oral contraceptives are in the form of tables, mainly called pills, and are taken by females. These pills are very effective with fewer side effects.
- They have small doses of a progesterone or progestogen-estrogen combinations.
- They work by inhibiting implantation, ovulation, and altering the quality of cervical mucus to prevent the entry of sperms.
- They are taken for a period of 21 days after the completion of the 7-day menstrual period. The females can continue this pattern till the time they desire to prevent conception.
- The pills named Saheli are a non-steroidal oral contraceptive that can be taken once a week.
Injectables or Implants
- Injectables or implants are effective emergency contraceptives. It can help to avoid pregnancy due to rape or casual unprotected intercourse.
- It can help to avoid the possible pregnancy within 72 hours of coitus.
- It releases the same hormones i.e, progestogen or progestogen-estrogen combination but in the form of injections or implants under the skin.
Surgical Methods
It is a terminal method to prevent conception, by blocking the gamete transport by surgical intervention. This method is called sterilization and is available for both males and females. This is a highly effective method but its reversibility is too poor.
The two types of surgical methods are:
- Vasectomy- It is the sterilization procedure in males, in which a small part of the vas deferens is either removed or tied up through a small incision on the scrotum.
- Tubectomy- It is a sterilization procedure in females, in which the small part of the fallopian tube is either removed or tied up through a small incision through the vagina or in the abdomen.
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| Organisms and Populations | Population | Genetics |
| Malthusian Theory of Population | Darwin's Contributions - Theory of Evolution | Heart |
Things to Remember
- An increase in population is a major issue as there could be a scarcity of basic requirements for the future generation.
- The major reasons for the increase in population are the rapid decline in death rate, the maternal mortality rate (MMR), and the infant mortality rate (IMR).
- Some of the initiatives the Indian government took to control the population are motivating couples for small families by the use of contraceptives, an increase in the marriageable age, and incentives to small families of 2 or less.
- Contraceptives should not be used regularly as they can affect reproductive health since they work against the natural reproductive event.
- The most used contraceptive methods are natural/ traditional method, barrier method, and oral contraceptives. These contraceptives also have the least or no side effects and are easily available.
Previous Year Questions
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Sample Questions
Ques. Explain the efforts to control population growth. (2 Marks)
Ans. Some of the efforts made to control the rate of population growth are:
- Educate and motivate people to have a small family.
- Increases in the statutory marriageable age of males to 21 and females to 18.
- Motivated couples of reproductive age for smaller families by using various contraceptive methods.
Ques. Are contraceptive methods good for reproductive health? (2 Marks)
Ans. Contraceptives are safe if used under the consultation of a medical professional. Though it is not safe if taken regularly as it works against the nature of the reproductive system. Thus it is not good for reproductive health if used regularly and has certain side effects like abdominal pain, nausea, irregular menstrual bleeding, breakthrough bleeding, breast cancer, etc.
Ques. What is meant by population explosion? Explain the reason behind the population explosion? (3 Marks)
Ans. Population explosion refers to a rapid increase in the human population within a short period of time. It is when the number of humans seems to be more than the resources available to fulfill their requirements.
Some of the reasons for the population explosion are:
- Increase in the mortality rate because of improvement in the quality and status of life. People have adapted to a better lifestyle and gained knowledge on how to maintain good health, thus increase in the mortality rate.
- Decrease in the death rate due to the advancements in technology in the field of health care. People are getting better medical attention to treat diseases and injury and thus the medical specialists could save more lives.
- Infant mortality rate (IMR) because of both advancement in the healthcare sector and betterment in the lifestyle of the parents.
Ques. Which of the contraceptives needs to be done by a specialized medical professional? (3 Marks)
Ans. There are certain contraceptive methods that can be done only by a specialized medical professional. Some of these are:
- IUDs - IUDs are devices for the females to insert into the uterus. They release certain hormones into the uterus and creates an unsuitable condition for the survival of the sperm or for implantation. It is the most suitable contraceptive to delay pregnancy.
- Surgical methods like vasectomy and tubectomy - It is a terminal method to prevent conception, by blocking the gamete transport by surgical intervention. This method is called sterilization and is available for both males and females.
Ques. Name the hormones that can prevent conception and how are they used as a contraceptive? (3 Marks)
Ans. There are certain hormones that are released into the uterus with the help of IUDs, oral contraceptives, and injectables or implants. The hormones that are released to avoid conception are hormone progesterone. It halts the menstrual cycle and ovulation by making the uterus unsuitable for implantation. This is usually used to delay pregnancy.
Progestogen-estrogen combinations are also used through oral contraceptives and injectables. These hormones are used to avoid pregnancy in the cases of rape or casual unprotected intercourse.
Ques. Name the contraceptive methods to control population growth. (3 Marks)
Ans. There are various contraceptive methods to avoid conception. These contraceptives do not interfere with the sexual drive and still helps to avoid pregnancy. Some of the contraceptives are easily available and do not need to advise of a medical professional, whereas some need medical attention.
Some of the contraceptive methods are:
- Natural/ Traditional Method
- Barrier Method
- Intra-Uterine Devices (IUD)
- Oral Contraceptives
- Injectable and Implants
- Surgical Methods
Ques. Explain the contraceptive method which can lead to the permanent terminal of conception. (4 Marks)
Ans. The surgical method is the contraceptive method that can lead to the permanent terminal of conception. In this method, the gamete transportation is blocked by surgical intervention called sterilization. It can be done by both males and females and these surgeries are :
- Vasectomy - It is the sterilization procedure in males, in which a small part of the vas deferens is either removed or tied up through a small incision on the scrotum.
- Tubectomy - It is a sterilization procedure in females, in which the small part of the fallopian tube is either removed or tied up through a small incision through the vagina or in the abdomen.
Ques. Which of the contraceptives methods have no side effects? (5 Marks)
Ans. Contraceptives usually work against the natural reproductive event. Therefore there are certain side-effects that can be seen like abdominal pain, nausea, irregular menstrual bleeding, breakthrough bleeding, breast cancer, etc. Though there are a few contraceptive methods that have the least or no side effects. Some of them are:
- Natural/ Traditional Method - The natural methods of contraceptives are based on the principle of preventing the chances of meeting the sperm and the ovum. In these methods, the couples should either avoid copulation during the fertilization period i.e, during days 10 - 17 of the menstrual cycle. These days have higher chances for the egg to fertilize. The other method is if the male partner removes his penis from the vagina just before ejaculation of the semen. The methods explained are just the precautions that can avoid the chances of pregnancy and thus have no side effects.
- Barrier method - In this method, a barrier is used to prevent the sperm from meeting the ova physically. The barriers like condoms, which are available for both men and women, are used during the coitus so that the ejaculated semen does not enter the female reproductive tract. Other barriers are Diaphragms, Cervical Caps, and Vaults, which cover the cervix during coitus thus preventing the entry of sperms. This method has also no side effects.
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