At this time of price hike in almost all sorts of goods, contraceptives didn’t stay behind either as prices of birth control pills and condoms have increased in the country.
Among them, price of the condom has gone up by 50 to 60 per cent. Retail sellers say that price hike has reduced the sales of condoms especially. Marketing companies, however, claim that their supply didn’t decrease that much.
Demographers and public health experts are speculating a rise in abortion and sexually transmitted diseases in consequence of birth control items’ prices going up.
The rate of using modern contraception methods in the country is now 52 per cent. Of the modern methods, oral contraceptive pills are used the most. Next comes injections and condoms.
Government provided contraceptives are more common in the rural areas. Majority of the city dwellers rely on pharmacies for these items.
Price rose, sales dropped
Social marketing Company (SMC) supplies 45 per cent of the oral contraceptive pills and 62 per cent of the condoms in the market. Price of Femicon, bestselling oral contraceptive of this company, has gone up from Tk 34.58 to Tk 40.
SMC has seven brands of condoms. Of them, the price of Panther has increased from Tk 15 to Tk 25 per packet while Sensation’s price has become Tk 40 going up from Tk 25. Price of the condom brand Carex from another company has increased from Tk 35 to Tk 40 a packet.
Vendor of AL-Dawaa pharmacy at capital’s Tejturi Bazar area Jobayerul Islam said, “When it comes to sales, Panther is in the highest demand followed by Sensation. Both of their prices have increased. We’ve got to learn that prices of all other brands will go up as well.”
While the demand for oral contraceptives has remained the same after price hike, the sales of condoms have decreased, said Jobayerul Islam.
Retailer of Rozario pharmacy from capital’s Monipuripara, Sams reiterated the same thing. This seller said that prices of the cheaper condoms have increased indeed. So, people aren’t buying them anymore.
SMC’s chief executive officer Toslim Uddin Khan claimed they were forced to hike the prices of contraceptives in the current reality. He told Prothom Alo, “There was no way except hiking the price. However, the demand of our products didn’t reduce despite the price hike.”
‘Unwanted pregnancies might increase’
Programme specialist at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Abu Sayed Mohammad Hasan believes that the price hike of contraceptives could result in unwanted pregnancies going up.
He told Prothom Alo that birth control items are going out of people's purchasing power. If these items aren’t easily accessible, people will opt for traditional methods. In that case unwanted pregnancies might increase.
Abu Sayed Mohammad Hasan said 50 per cent of the unwanted pregnancies result in abortion. And if these abortions are done by someone unqualified, it creates health risks for women.
While Bangladesh’s population growth rate has come down, some recent tendencies have raised questions about the progress of birth control system. It was found in 2021’s Bangladesh Urban Health Survey that compared to 2013, total fertility rate (TFR) has increased in the slums under the city corporations, outside of the slums and in other towns.
Mohammad Mainul Islam, a professor at the population sciences department of Dhaka University finds this high rate of fertility worrying.
He told Prothom Alo, if adolescent pregnancy and this trend of increasing TFR continue, then it’s a matter of concern. Meanwhile, the situation can turn even more complicated due to high price of contraceptives and reluctance to using them for that reason.
‘Government must take responsibility’
According to Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18, 45 per cent of the country’s contraceptive users buy these items from pharmacies. Government provides 44 per cent while NGOs provide another 5 per cent.
Public health expert Ubaidur Rob believes, price hike of contraceptives in this time of economic crisis will only decrease their use. He said that unwanted pregnancies will increase because of this. So, the government must make arrangements to provide these items at affordable prices.
Demography expert Mohammad Mainul Islam also gave the same opinion. He said that availability, easy access and quality of contraceptives have to be ensured in this moment of crisis. And the government must take responsibility of this.