Multiple Indian states are witnessing an increase in their number of breast cancer cases according to recent data, suggesting an uptick in rates of one of the major public health threats to Indian women. As previously reported by Health Issues India, “breast cancer… is the most common type of cancer among Indian women and, together […]
women's health
Abortions: 61 lakh in five years, but issues remain
India recorded 61 lakh abortions in the five years since the 2014-15 period, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey informed lawmakers last week. Giving a written reply to a question posed in the Lok Sabha, Choubey said that the Government was taking steps to ensure access to safe abortions in the […]
Sex determination labs in the crosshairs of the Telangana High Court
![Sex ratio at birth. Sex determination ban in India to prevent imbalanced sex ratio. By Melanurya (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Sex_determination_ban.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Sex determination ban in India and freedom of speech")
The Telangana High Court has wrote to state government officials about the proliferation of sex determination labs despite the practice of prenatal sex determination being illegal in India. The two-justice bench, consisting of Chief Justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan and Justice A. Abhishek Reddy, was responding to a public interest litigation filed before the High Court. […]
The challenge of getting family planning “right”: Professor Amy O. Tsui on sexual and reproductive health in India
With India facing a plethora of issues related to sexual and reproductive health, ranging from sex-selective abortion to rising rates of infertility, Health Issues India interviewed Professor Amy O. Tsui, PhD of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to discuss India’s family planning, female sterilisation, infertility, female foeticide, and other issues in the […]
Suicide risk does not increase after an abortion: Research
The notion that undergoing an abortion increases a woman’s suicide risk is not supported by evidence, according to recent research. A study published in The Lancet examined data of 523,380 Danish women between the ages of eighteen and 36, finding that whilst women who undergo an abortion have a higher risk of first-time non-fatal suicide […]
Maternal mortality ratio in decline
The maternal mortality ratio has declined in India in recent years according to recently unveiled Sample Registration System (SRS) data, boding good news for the nation’s mothers. According to the figures, since 2013 maternal mortality has declined from 77 deaths per every lakh live births to seventy deaths for every lakh live births in southern […]
Sexual harassment in India: A crisis
Sexual harassment is frequently overlooked in India, even in the age of the MeToo movement which saw survivors share their stories and led to the downfall of numerous public figures worldwide, in politics, business, the entertainment industry, and beyond. India was no exception to this trend, with women from all walks of life sharing their […]
Infant and maternal health: Progress and challenges
A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) has offered insight into India’s performance on infant and maternal health indicators, one of the most visceral issues threatening public health and development in the country. The study, which “assessed coverage, coverage change and inequity for eight maternal and newborn health care indicators in parts […]
Sex discrimination and women in the workforce
Endemic sex discrimination takes its toll on the Indian economy, with the absence of women in the workforce, an imbalanced sex ratio, and social prejudices holding back a boon for India’s GDP. According to a report published recently in The Print, almost 120 million women who have at least a secondary education do not participate […]
More women are smoking in Hyderabad – and lung cancer cases are on the rise
In 2018, lung cancer killed 18,112 women in India with 19,097 new cases diagnosed among them. In Telangana, where cancer cases have sharply increased since 1990, state capital Hyderabad offers a warning sign to women who use tobacco: the majority of lung cancer cases in the city occur among women who smoke. According to a […]