Many Afghans are rethinking taboos surrounding family planning and the use of contraceptives as pandemic stretches on -@RuchiKumar h/t @heatherbarr1 thenationalnews.com/world/asia/in-…
In a deeply conservative and patriarchal society like Afghanistan, families are traditionally large, with every new child seen as sign of prosperity and virility.
The subject of family planning and use of contraceptives is considered to run counter to religious beliefs,
The subject of family planning and use of contraceptives is considered to run counter to religious beliefs,
Health concerns surrounding pregnant women and coronavirus have prompted the Ministry of Public Health to issue advisories encouraging Afghans to consider it.
"Studies have shown that pregnant women have a lower immune response to most infections...There is a release of a lot of oestrogen and progesterone, hormones that suppress the immune response in pregnant women. That means disease is about five times more severe."
The ministry launched an awareness campaign in the early months of the pandemic advising Afghan women to space their pregnancies, or wait till after the end of the global crisis to have their next child.
In a patriarchal society where few women have a say over the number of children they conceive, the campaign is falling short.
Dr Khatol Hamidi, who manages a small family planning centre in Kabul, said the decision is usually made by a husband or mother-in-law. #Afghanistan
Dr Khatol Hamidi, who manages a small family planning centre in Kabul, said the decision is usually made by a husband or mother-in-law. #Afghanistan
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