Abstract
Reproductive health is a global concern with significant implications for women’s well-being and overall human development. As a crucial component of general health, it directly affects women during their reproductive years. The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, broadened the scope of reproductive health by emphasizing its multidimensional nature. Within this framework, maternal health—encompassing pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period—plays a decisive role in determining outcomes for both mothers and newborns. Ensuring safe motherhood requires adequate health care practices that safeguard women’s health, promote healthy infants, and secure long-term well-being.
According to the World Health Organization (1978), key components of reproductive health include responsible sexual behaviour, family planning, maternal care, prevention of infections, infertility management, elimination of unsafe abortion, and treatment of reproductive organ diseases. Both the Ministry of Health and WHO highlight the importance of early and adequate antenatal care (ANC), recommending a minimum of four visits for uncomplicated pregnancies.
The present study examines the reproductive health status of young, currently married women in rural areas, focusing on the utilization of maternal health care services. It explores three key components—antenatal, intra-natal, and postnatal care—with particular attention to full ANC, place of delivery, skilled attendance during childbirth, and postnatal check-ups. The study was conducted among 500 currently married women aged 18–35 years in Chidambaram Taluk, Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu. Respondents were selected using a systematic random sampling method to ensure representativeness of the rural population. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule and analysed statistically. Percentage distributions were used to assess patterns of maternal health service utilization, and Chi-square tests examined associations with socio-economic and demographic factors. The findings provide insights into reproductive health practices and highlight persistent inequalities in access to quality maternal care among rural women. Utilisation of maternal health care services is assessed based on the percentage of the most recent pregnancies that received such services. The analysis of the utilisation of antenatal and intranatal care by current age during the last pregnancy reveals a marked concentration in younger age groups. More than three-fifths (60.4 percent) of the respondents were in the 21–23 years age group, confirming this period as the prime reproductive age in the study area.
Keywords: Reproductive health, safe motherhood, infertility, unsafe abortion, reproductive tract infections, systematic random sampling.
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