New Delhi: Gender sensitivity is largely prevalent when it comes to family planning in Orissa as a recent survey reveals that the percentage of males undergoing sterilisation is much less as compared to females.
According National Family Health Survey IV for the year 2015-16, reports of which were released recently, 28.3 per cent of women have undergone sterilisation during the period while only 0.2 per cent of males have undergone the family planning operation.
However, 
as a method of family planning is not the only front where the disparity gender disparity in orissa
is evident. When it comes to adopting prophylactic measures, the onus also seems to be more on the women.
The survey says while 3.4 per cent of the male population in the state used condoms, 12 per cent of the studied women from the state used birth control pills and 1.1 per cent women tried Intra Uterine Devices (IUD) as birth control measures. Most of the respondents however relied on other methods of contraception.
The male members seem to be more aware of their reproductive health than their counterparts. The study claims that less number of women are aware of the fact that use of condoms can decrease the chances of getting infected with HIV. While 80.3 per cent men knew about the use of condoms for preventing HIV, only 59.4 per cent women are aware of the method, the report added.
Besides the gender disparity in family planning, the report also highlighted the state of health of women in Orissa. According to the report, more than half of the women (51%) in the age group 15-49 years are anemic and 26.4 per cent in the same age group have low body-mass index (BMI).
Pvt hospitals prefer C-section
The survey report highlighted the grey areas of private healthcare by pointing out higher chances of undergoing caesarian section if one is admitted to private hospital in the state. The report claimed that 53.7 per cent of women who underwent delivery at private hospitals faced C-section while it stands at only 11.5 per cent in case of public hospitals. The issue is alarming keeping in view the fact that in the last NFHS (in 2015-16) the C-section percentage at private clinics stood at 32.4 per cent.
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