For decades female contraception - tubectomy has been the most popular form of contraception in India. Throughout the last century, the UN and powerful foreign governments have used their money power and political clout to incentivise sterilisation in India.
many families have come to view it as the only socially acceptable contraceptive. But it doesn't allow women to space out their pregnancies. But this faces its own challenges in India. health care workers are not trained properly in the use of contraceptive pills which requires consistent correct usage. Often access to regular supply is a challenge. Also, IUD, do not always stay in place, another problem when health centres are not easy to reach. Also, the women activists are opposed to the usage of pills whose effects are not reversible and could even be administered without knowledge.
The only option available to men are condoms and/or sterilization. men might reject these methods as they believe that condoms reduce pleasure or sterilization could compromise their sense of manhood. Also, women may be unwilling to allow husbands to undergo sterilization and would get themselves sterilized.
Tubal ligation and vasectomies are 100% effective but they have come to be associated as health hazards. Condoms, diaphragms, rhythm and coitus interruptus are not 100% effective.
Long-acting hormones have been developed but they have potential health hazards. It can cause blood clots, negatively affect libido. IUDs are associated with bleeding and pelvic disease. Sterilization is irreversible, barrier methods, spermicides require further research.
Hence many women don't use contraceptives at all, even in developed countries whar all these methods are available.
There is a global demand for better contraceptives bu the medical community and industries have simply been retooling and recreating older methods during the last 50 years.
In India, two scientists have been working to bring innovative breakthrough methods to the market. They have devoted the better part of their lives to creating contraceptives that overcome current shortcomings.
G P Talwar, who is 92 years old is a vaccination specialist. He is best known for developing a vaccine for leprosy. He became interested in birth control and witnessed poverty unlike any he had seen before. He theorised that if a contraceptive method involved a vaccine against a hormone that's only present in women when pregnancy begins there will be fewer side effects than the birth control pills. The hormone hCG that pregnancy tests detect only appears when the egg is fertilized. This hormone helps the egg implant in the uterus. The vaccine would require fewer visits to the doctor. The women activists objected to the vaccine on the ground that it may lead to coercive practices and could be administered without patients' knowledge. Also, this may lead to a perception that pregnancy is a disease which has to be vaccinated against.
THE WHO which initially criticized Talwar for failing to complete enough animal tests before moving on to humans.
Talwar abandoned the research in the 1990s but now he has resumed the research and is now gathering volunteers for phase II trials.
Sujoy Guha, now 77 years old wanted to create a method that was reversible, less invasive than vasectomy and less likely to cause side effects.
RISUG is a gel that is injected into a male patient's vas deferns, reversing the charge of sperm and making it immobile. Is a patient wants to stop RISUG effects, another gel can breakdown the gel and make him fertile. He faced a lot of resistance from the medical community and even the international pharma companies have shown no interest in funding his research. At present phase II testing have shown the gel to be 99% effective. He is awaiting approval from the Indian Drug Control Authority to start phase IIIb trials in the rural health centres.
The hCG vaccine could help a lot of women - not everyone as it will work for women with certain blood compositions since its effectiveness depends upon how quickly they are able to develop antibodies after being exposed to the vaccine.
RISUG has limitations as well, it won't be enough to protect women who are not in a committed relationship.
hCG & RISUG could improve the lives of women and men in other parts of the world.
Drug companies are investing to maintain the contraceptive status quo but it could change if these methods are approved and are distributed to the people who want them and are aware of how the methods work.
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