Modern day india's war on contraceptives

For a country with a population of 1.43 billion people, politicians do have an interesting take on contraceptives. Over the counter pills get clouded in a shroud of misinformation perpetuated by people who think watching greys anatomy makes them a doctor (and also occasionally by actual doctors). Dr. S.A.S Hafeezullah, an MD physician and the state deputy secretary of the ruling party DMK’s media relations wing, Tamil Nadu, quoted in his tweet, “Irrational use of emergency contraceptives has adverse health effects and continuous use may expose them to fatal illness. These pills are an absolute contraindication in some illnesses,” which translates to a lot of words that don't really mean anything by a man who surely has an irrational use of twitter.  

Mahatma Gandhi strongly opposed artificial contraception and birth control, believing that self-restraint was the only acceptable method of family planning, fearing it would lead to moral degeneration and increased non-procreative sex. Mahatma Gandhi also used to do “truth” experiments with his grand nieces.  

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) is now considering a move to make all hormonal contraceptives prescription-only. If approved, this change could make access even harder, increasing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions.  

The most common side-effects of Hormonal contraceptives specifically I-pill tablets is nausea, breast soreness, faintness, tiredness, lower abdominal pains and heavier menstrual bleeding, However only a third of the women who use birth control face these side-effects and they are usually not enough to be medically concerning. The I-pill ( a synthetic form of progesterone) also does not contain estrogen which should minimize concerns about clots and strokes. Birth control pills thicken cervical mucus which creates a barrier preventing sperm from entering the uterus and eventually reaching the egg. 

The real danger lies not in the pill itself but in the lack of access to accurate information about its proper use and limitations.

Another widespread myth is that taking the I-pill multiple times in a short period leads to permanent reproductive damage. While excessive use can cause irregular menstrual cycles due to hormonal fluctuations, it does not cause long-term infertility. The key issue here is not the pill's safety but the failure of sex education in India, which leaves people scrambling for answers from unreliable sources, often leading to unnecessary fear and hesitancy in using contraception.

Perhaps one of the greatest ironies in this situation is the lack of awareness about other long-term contraceptive methods. Intrauterine devices (IUDs), implants, and regular birth control pills are effective and safe options, but social taboos and patriarchal norms make them inaccessible to many women. The burden of contraception in India disproportionately falls on women, despite the fact that male sterilization is a far simpler procedure than female sterilization. Vasectomy rates remain astonishingly low, largely due to misplaced fears about masculinity and sexual performance.

The Condom Stigma: When Protection Equals Shame

If emergency contraceptives are shrouded in myths, condoms are suffocated by stigma. Buying condoms in India is still treated like a covert operation, with many people—especially young men—facing judgmental glares from shopkeepers. Pharmacies frequently keep them behind the counter, requiring customers to ask for them explicitly, a humiliating barrier that discourages purchases. The discomfort surrounding condom use isn’t just limited to consumers; even government-backed family planning programs often tiptoe around the subject, promoting female sterilization over male contraceptive responsibility.

Ironically, India was one of the first countries to launch a national family planning program, but the messaging has remained inconsistent. Condom advertisements are often censored, labeled as "inappropriate" for television audiences, further reinforcing the taboo. Instead of normalizing protection, this censorship feeds into a cycle of embarrassment and ignorance.

For a country that boasts a massive population, the aversion to open discussions about contraception is both absurd and dangerous. Contraceptives are not a moral failing; they are a basic healthcare necessity. The more India clings to outdated ideas about sexuality and reproductive health, the more it pushes people—especially women—into unsafe and uninformed choices.

Until sex education is taken seriously and contraceptive access is normalized, India will remain at war with its own reproductive reality.