Everyone wants to know, Why I visit Marie Stopes Center????

So, this is actually a very funny incidence, might be two months old. Well, one of my friend want to use a contraception ( after having two children), so she consult me and ask for help to make a choice among available services. I have been working to increase awareness among adolescent and youths about the sexual and reproductive health for years so, it is my responsibility to help her to make a decision.After our discussion she decided to use implant and I suggested her to visit Marie Stopes Service Center with her husband if possible. But next day she called me and requested to come with her as her husband was busy that day. So on the same day we visited the center and she had the implant.

Wait, wait this is just the beginning of the story, next day as I was on my period and had a menstrual pain so I was lying on my bed, at the same time my neighbor bhauju ( Brother’s wife) who is very close to me came to meet me. She was behaving a little weird from usual so I asked her if she want to share anything with me? She looked so uncomfortable and said, ” Nani, please don’t lie to me, have you been to the abortion service center?” I was like where is that? And finally I understood that her mother in law had double checked and confirmed me in the Marie Stopes Center the day before with my friend and this morning When she came to know that I’am having a stomach pain then she was 100% sure that I had an abortion.

Really??? Visiting the Marie Stopes center means you had an abortion??? And Who said that it is an abortion center???

Then I realize, how a person can deliver a correct message when person herself has a faulty assumptions??? Poor anti ji. But I get success on convincing my dear Bhauju that What Marie Stopes actually do?? This is just one incidence in my life, lucky me, I have plenty of them ranging from finding condoms in my bags to tracing me frequently in Marie Stopes center ( I’ am not promoting their services.. haha).

An estimated 225 million women in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception, which I find as one of the reason for choosing unsafe abortion services and suffering from STDs. But why they are not using the contraception when they want to use it??? Yes, it is because they are afraid of this society, culture and values, they afraid if anyone find them buying a condom or buying a contraceptive pill. A girl who get pregnant before marriage choose suicide rather than safe abortion because of her family prestige and a girl is accused to have an abortion, if she visit the family planning service center.

The Beijing Platform for Action states that “the human rights of women include their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” And it is true that many organizations are committed to provide the quality services on sexual and reproductive health, But until we change our perspective, the full utilization of services is impossible in these sensitive topics.

Ok, we are committed to raise the awareness among the young school adolescents and youth but to these Anti ji portion (No age and gender offense) I just want to say is, ” Before ‘assume’ try this crazy method called asking.” By the way why don’t you stop assuming when it is not even related with you. For your kind information abortion is my right as long as it is safe.

 

“We are working to increase access of urban and rural Adolescent and Youth to Sexual Reproductive Health information and services” We feel accomplished as we can see young people like Ms. Rama visits our Marie Stopes Center because she believes we are providing Youth Friendly Sexual Reproductive Health services Please check out her writing here