Facebook page creates controversy says ‘stop control over birth control’

Chennai: The popular Chennai-based community page on Facebook, ‘I Am Madras’, recently posted the hash tag, #ChennaiNeedsContraceptives.

It encouraged the city’s twitterati to hold open discussions about the apparent unavailability of female emergency contraceptive pills at drug stores in Chennai.

“The issue was brought to my notice when my friend posted it as her Facebook status message, saying how difficult it is to get emergency contraceptive pills for females as they are banned in Chennai on moral grounds,” says Raunak, the owner of the I Am Madras page.

“I found it very misogynistic that women aren’t allowed to use emergency contraceptive pills while condoms are available in plenty,” he adds. After discovering that this was a long-standing point of debate, Raunak coined the hash tag.

“The result was mixed. While some girls said they were refused when they asked for the pills, others said drug store owners asked for prescriptions.”

Abinaya Siva, a city based banker, recounts a similar situation when her friend asked a drug store in Kotturpuram for emergency contraceptive pills.

“Not only did they refuse to give them to her, they even passed some negative comments on how a twenty-something girl can walk in unabashed and ask for contraceptives. My friend isn’t from Chennai, so she was quite taken aback by their insults,” Abinaya says.

“It’s not that female contraceptives are banned, but as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules they are labeled as Schedule H drugs, due to the presence of certain harmful substances in them, and therefore, cannot be sold without a prescription,” clarifies Abdul Khader, director in charge of the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Drugs Control.

“Moreover, the Drugs and Magical Remedies Act of 1954 clearly says that drugs, which cause contraception in women, must not be advertised,” he adds.

When asked if the unavailability of the drugs stem from the conservative mindset of Chennai, he says, “It is true that Tamil Nadu doesn’t look at sex outside marriage as respectable, therefore the notion that it is morally unfit to promote contraceptive pills, which may be misused by women.”

“I personally feel emergency contraceptive pills should be made available to women,” says city-based sexologist, Dr. Narayana Reddy. “It is possible to engage in unprotected sex, or the condom may tear, in which case, emergency contraceptive pills are a good alternative,” he suggests.

As for this being a Schedule H drug, Dr. Reddy says, “Even after prescribing it for one of my patients, the store owners turned them away, saying it was unavailable. Viagra is a Schedule H drug as well, but has that stopped us men from getting it easily from drug stores? This is an indirect way to ban the drug due to some fundamentalist thinking,” he says.

“Everything, if misused, has its adverse effects. If people are misusing it, rather than banning it, one should educate them about it,” he concludes.