Maha Govt's Models Of Reproductive Organs In Family Planning Kit Criticised

In the Buldhana district of Maharashtra, political parties and activists have expressed disapproval and concern over the Government of Maharashtra's inclusion of rubber models of both female and male reproductive organs as part of the awareness drive carried out by the Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers.

According to these criticising individuals, this inclusion causes embarrassment to the workers who allegedly complained about discomfort while carrying and displaying them during the campaign. The rubber models are part of the family planning counselling kit. They have urged the government to drop such models.

Along with many others who are critical of the usage of the rubber models is the Bharatiya Janata Party's leader Chitra Wagh. Voicing her concern on the matter, she tweeted her message to the Government of Maharashtra.

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In a tweet, Wagh wrote, "Hon'ble @DGPMaharashtra, the government has included Asha workers in the Buldhana family planning kit to create awareness about the use of rubber linga. As per the Indian Penal Code 354 (An act that would embarrass the mind) The Thackeray government should be immediately charged with indecency."

Maharashtra Government Models Of Reproductive Organs

The district health officials said that these kits are to effectively create awareness about family planning and sexual hygiene. These kits were distributed by the health department in Buldhana and other districts. The leading goal of this awareness drive is to spread information about birth control, population control and preventing diseases like AIDS, amongst others. Other than the rubber models, the kit also includes medicines.

A social worker from the district Tabbassum Begum said that some Asha workers had approached her and said that they feel shy to show these models during counselling sessions in villages. "The programme is very good, but I feel the government should look into this aspect and remove the reproductive organ models from the kit," she said.

While a senior health official said that these kits are good for the purpose of creating awareness about birth control and sexual hygiene. The unnamed source also said that during these drives, male health workers counsel only men and women health workers counsel only women.

(Feature Image Credit: NDTV)