World Contraception Day: Why Is Purchasing Contraception Turning Into A Roadies Task?

World Contraception Day: Why Is Purchasing Contraception Turning Into A Roadies Task?

There are a lot of things that our society approves of and disapproves of. Alas, this judgement isn’t based on logical reasoning but only on traditional beliefs. One example of this instance is contraceptives and the stigma attached to them in our society. People still believe that if you use contraceptives then you are too sexually active and can even be labelled as a prostitute or a slut. This creates a lack of awareness among the people and attaches a sense of fear and taboo with not only sex but especially contraceptives.

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Underlying this stigma is the traditional thinking of forbidding premarital sex and belief that the purpose of sex is solely reproduction. I mean, one must think that in this supposedly modern society people would be more practical and thoughtful than before, but that is not the case. This World Contraception Day, let’s understand this stigma and work towards removing it. 

So, Why Does This Stigma Around Contraception Still Exist?

The circle of hush-hush around contraceptives is vicious and is still continuing. The major factors behind this are the poor, ineffective and sometimes even absent sex education in our educational institutions. Even in terms of sex education, the children aren’t taught that sex is a natural process and how to be safe about it, but instead, they try to engrain the idea that it’s something which is wrong and shouldn’t be practised before marriage. Basically, not precaution but abstinence.

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This creates a lack of awareness among the people and attaches a sense of fear and taboo with not only sex but especially contraceptives. The stigma is so strong that in one case a person glued his penis shut to avoid pregnancy. He either wasn’t aware of contraceptives or simply the society’s disapproval of it was so strong that he would rather glue himself up.

It’s worse for women, who have to bear the immediate consequences of unprotected sex, and so, there’s a greater emphasis on abstinence for them than on men. This results in many women being scared of sex instead of safely enjoying it.

How Does This Fear Materialise?

This fear associated with stigma materialises in various ways and all of them are super pathetic. First of all, the seller i.e the shopkeepers will judge you and will shoot you with that ‘look’ before you could buy something which is not only very natural but also sensible to use. This shame attached to contraceptives leads to many people avoiding or hesitating in buying any kind of contraceptives.

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Let’s suppose that you are able to brave the embarrassment and shame attached to buying contraceptives. The worst part isn’t over yet. There is a constant fear and anxiety about hiding them well and the fear of being caught by your parents. And, god forbid, your parents find them with you then they will not pat you on the back for being safe despite their lack of information provided on the subject, but it will be a day which will make you question your whole existence, and make you regret buying contraception in the first place.

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Parents feel that the best way to keep their children safe is to forbid them from engaging in any kind of sexual activity. Therefore, they don’t even have the talk with their kids. This thinking of ‘Desi’ parents is one reason why many young people still remain in the dark about safe sex.

What Are the Results Of This Fear And Stigma Against Contraception?

So what if people don’t know much about contraceptives? So what if they don’t use it? This lack of awareness and the stigma attached to them leads to various problems. The most obvious one is the increased transmission of STIs because there is no safety mechanism left to prevent it and it can also lead to teenage and unwanted pregnancies, which can also contribute to increased non-institutional abortions.

Another problematic effect is overpopulation since every sperm is able to reach its destination. The lack of awareness about various methods of contraceptives that can be used by both males and females leads to the burden falling primarily on females, they alone are the ones who have to pop the pills which have many side effects on their bodies.

Therefore, contraceptives are very important and in no way should be discouraged. For their use to not only be normalised but also widespread we need to bring some changes.

What Can We Do About This?

To promote and normalise the use as well as the purchase of contraceptives, we need to bring about various changes in the way that society thinks and proceeds. We need to start from the root, by making sex education holistic and comprehensive. Every child should be made aware of their bodies and how to safely experience pleasure. Maybe the school can conduct workshops or appoint a counsellor to help the children resolve any of their queries.

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Furthermore, we need to work towards removing the shame attached to talking about contraceptives. We can always try to initiate this on a personal level by having safe-sex-related conversations with our siblings, cousins, friends and peers to overcome the initial fear. Even parents should understand the need for this ‘talk’ and begin to be open with their children. Remember, the change always begins with you. You need to stop judging anyone who is open enough to buy contraceptives or talk about them. They are doing the right thing by both being aware and safe. We not only need to make the people around us understand the importance of contraceptives but also we need to stop ourselves from jumping to conclusions.

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Also Read: Half Of Women Are Denied The Bodily Autonomy To Refuse Sex Or Use Contraception, Says UN Report

We are living in an age where modern thinking rules and yet we are so backward in some areas. We should instead, be the generation that brings about the change, we should dare to challenge the existing illogical conventions in our society, it’s time to be the generation that dares to fill the gap. Sounds about right, doesn’t it?

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Mehak Walia

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