The number is quite easy to remember but has nothing to do with any reality show or opinion poll. Infact, callers to the number prefer their names and conversations to be kept confidential.
NEW DELHI: The number is quite easy to remember but has nothing to do with any reality show or opinion poll. Infact, callers to the number prefer their names and conversations to be kept confidential.
The call centre (66665555) on reproductive health launched by Jansankhya Stirtha Kosh (JSK), a registered society of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has been receiving encouraging response from callers, majority of them, women.
From among the calls received over a period of 25 days, questions on contraception outnumber any other by a large margin. Of the 5595 calls received, about 1400 callers sought information on contraception. Questions on sexual health concerns in males, pregnancy and reproductive health followed.
A significant number of callers wanted to know what JSK was and what work they did pointing out to the sensitiveness of the issue that is being dealt with by the call centre.
Among those who sought information about contraception, 24 per cent wanted information on condoms, 18 per cent on natural methods, 14 per cent on IUD and 10 per cent on sterilization. Very few callers asked for information on female condoms.
Female callers lean towards contraception (24 per cent) whereas male callers seek information on sexual health (17 per cent).
"We basically started this call centre with the idea of giving information on contraception. But the doctors we were working with said that it could not just be restricted to that subject. There are a number of related issues that need to be addressed," says Shailaja Chandra, Executive Director, JSK.
"Earlier we followed a family planning approach. But primarily all over the globe reproductive health approach is being followed now. It is what is called a 'cafeteria approach', that is, providing a number of options for people to choose from," says Dr Suneela Garg, Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine at Maulana Azad Medical College.
The call centre has a database of about 550 FAQs on reproductive health prepared by a team of doctors from Maulana Azad Medical College, AIIMS, Kalawati Saran Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College. The agents at the call centre, with a life sciences background, have been trained by doctors from St Stephens Medical Hospital.
JSK also plans to set up a committee to keep upgrading the topics and questions covered by the call centre.
"There is a dearth of information on contraception in the country. About 10 - 12 per cent couples in the reproductive age group who are seeking information on contraception methods do not have access to sources. There was a latent demand for such services and it is now surfacing," says Dr Venkatesh Srinivasan, Assistant Representative, UNFPA, who also helped in establishment of the question bank.
"It is a positive step. There is an unmet need for information on contraception. In some districts the lack of awareness is as high as 55 per cent," says Dr Garg.
Another interesting fact is that 90 per cent of the information sought was on spacing methods whereas 10 per cent of it was on limiting methods.
"We have a large population of young people. This young population is not going to go for limiting methods right now," says Dr Srinivasan.
The JSK aims to promote this call centre intensively in parts of northern India where a sizeable portion of the population gets married before the legal age.
"In Rajasthan, Jharkhand about 70 per cent of females and 50 per cent of males get married at an early age. In Bihar and Rajasthan it is 69 per cent and 67 per cent for females and 42 and 50 per cent for males respectively. Also, 16 per cent of women in the age group of 15 - 19 in the country have begun childbearing," says Chandra quoting the NFHS - III.
"This call centre is complimentary to public health centres and not a substitute. People do not have to travel far off distances just to seek information. They can seek basic information from this call centre. It is moving away from quackery," says Dr Garg.
Perhaps the anonymity that the call centre provides to the caller has made it easier for people to pick up the phone and ask away questions on issues that were hitherto to be kept under wraps, says an individual who has sought information from 66665555.
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