Emergency Contraceptives - Many Entaged by New Ad Rage


Aparajita Gupta/IANS

Kolkata, Aug 18: Are the aggressive television advertisements on emergency contraceptives also encouraging unprotected sex? Some sociologists, gynaecologists and ad industry bigshots seem concerned over this new breed of ads being beamed across many major channels. But there are others who see nothing wrong.

Even in the US, where emergency contraceptives are more liberally used, the advertisements on these products are not shown so extensively on television, said Florida-based Indian Rupam Chowdhury.

"In the US, such ads are shown in some specific channels, not everywhere," Chowdhury told IANS.

Kolkata-based gynaecologist Manjari Chatterjee is aghast by such ad campaigns.

"The way these advertisements are shown on television is not proper. Emergency contraceptives have lots of side effects. They disrupt the menstrual cycle," Chatterjee, attached to a city nursing home, told IANS.

Of late, strong ad pitches by two emergency contraceptive brands have made the Indian audience conscious about the usage of these pills, which claim to prevent pregnancy if popped within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

Doctors say those who use these emergency contraceptives have the tendency to hide their usage when they visit doctors, which makes it difficult for the physicians to treat them.

"They often hide the fact that they had taken the pills earlier, which makes it difficult for us to treat them when they come to us with problems," Chatterjee said.

These pills can even lead to hormonal disorder if taken regularly.

"We used to prescribe emergency contraceptive pills earlier also. But that was after examining the patient. But I don't think it is right to convert them into over-the-counter drugs," she said.

Chatterjee suggested that these drug strips should at least carry a precautionary line.

"These drugs often do incomplete abortion," she said, adding that young, unmarried women are more attracted to these drugs, as they do not wish to undergo the hassles of abortion after having unguarded sex.

However, there are gynaecologists who express a different view.

"It's not a crime to have emergency contraceptives. It's better to have it rather than undergoing abortion," Gautam Khastogir, a leading Kolkata gynaecologist told IANS.

Sociology professor Anindya Dey is worried about the effects of such advertisements on children in particular, and on Indian society in general.

"Advertisements have target groups. But they show these advertisements in all the channels round the clock. This initiates a lot of curiosity among children."

Holding that advertisements are not all about selling a product, Dey felt they have to be socially responsible also. "One needs to understand these are not mere soap advertisements. These advertisements are promoting that passion is more important than protection."

He emphasised that Indian societal behaviour has to be kept in mind.

"After the economic liberalisation in 1991, we have imbibed a lot of western material culture. But we don't understand that it is not so easy to imbibe non-material culture," he added.

Ridhhima, 29, married for the last two years, told IANS: "It is always better to make sure that you are well protected before sex rather than swallowing a pill afterwards."

Souvik Misra, executive creative director, BATE Advertising, echoed Dey. "The problem is everybody is trying to copy the western world."

"In the US also this (such advertisements) was not accepted gladly at the beginning. The acceptance came through evolution. But here we are trying to compress the whole evolution within a short span of time."

"At the end of the day we have to be clear of the values we are preaching. Do they make any sense at all?" he asked.

However, Manisha, a teenager, is all for such advertisements. "Times are changing. Guys and girls mix more freely nowadays. They give emotional support to each other. This emotional bondage may lead to physical intimacy at times. Knowledge of such products helps in averting unwelcome pregnancies."

On the other hand, parents of college students are afraid that their children may get into unprotected sex due to the availability of these over-the-counter drugs.

"I am afraid that these advertisements may give ideas to youngsters, who may still be quite immature to understand the effect of taking these pills," said a parent whose daughter studies at the under-graduate level.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Manjunatha Bangera, Kasaragodu/Bengaluru

    Wed, Aug 19 2009

    I am of the view that one should not use any type of contraceptive pills, because in the long run it may cause hormonal imbalance and thereby turning fertile women to infertile. There are other methods of contraception which can be used. In my view, condom is the safest one. It does not have any side-effects too.

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