Reproductive health problems among urban women :a study of four metro cities in India

Ruchi Sogarwal, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

An attempt has been made in this paper to study the reproductive health problems and treatment seeking behaviour among currently married women in four metro cities in India namely Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata. Utilizing NFHS-2 data, results show that the prevalence of women having any reproductive health problem is highest in Mumbai (54 percent) followed by Delhi (36 percent), Chennai (30 percent), and Kolkata (28 percent). A majority of women in all four metro cities have reported abdominal pain, itching, and burning sensation. However, in spite of the high prevalence of reproductive health problems, a large proportion of such women in all these cities do not seek any advice or treatment for these problems. This study also examines determinants that affect the prevalence of reproductive health problems to help policy makers plan proper interventions for improving woman’s reproductive health.