Birth control pills, condom use on the rise in India: Survey

New Delhi: The recently released data of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) for 2015-16 reveals an increase in the use of contraceptive pills and condoms in India.

According to the survey, the use of pills has risen to 4.1% from 3.1%, and that of condoms to 5.6% from 5.2 % as compared to NFHS-3, carried out 10 years ago.

It said that despite 45% of users knowing the side-effects of modern methods, there has been a rise in the use of pills - up from 34.4% in the earlier findings. The use of IUD (intrauterine device) and PPIUD (postpartum intrauterine contraceptive device) also declined to 1.5% from 1.7%.

However, overall family planning methods declined to 53.5% in its latest survey for 2015-16 from 56.3% in the previous one. The report also indicated that India’s population grew by 17.7% between 2001 and 2011, and a part of this period falls in the interval between the two family health surveys.

The latest survey by the Health Ministry government showed positive trends in key health indicators, including an improvement in sex ratio at birth and a decline in infant mortality rate during 2015-16.

The survey was conducted after collecting information from 6 lakh households, 7 lakh women and 1.3 lakh men, and for the first time provide district level estimates.