Reducing Unsafe Menstrual Regulation through Medication in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, the risk of maternal morbidity is rising because of increased number of unsafe Menstrual Regulation (MR). Menstrual regulation is mainly conducted through manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) which have some health and social risks. Sometimes, due to the fear of the society, women go to unskilled providers for performing MVA. As this is very unhygienic, most of them have to suffer from post MVA complication. This unsafe MR provides very poor service and has no control of infections. On the other hand, MR through Medication (MRM) is a much safer alternative to MVA. The MR through medication can decrease the maternal morbidity of Bangladesh.

This paper points out to the feasibility and safety of introducing MRM in rural and urban public health facilities in Bangladesh. Here, most of the women preferred MRM to MVA and women receiving MRM reported being satisfied or very satisfied with their quality of care. The paper recommends that nationally the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) and its partners should work together to train providers and to procure the medical commodities to introduce MRM as an option for menstrual regulation in health facilities.

Reference:

Rob, Ubaidur, Ismat Ara Hena, Nargis Sultana, Md. Irfan Hossain, Reena Yasmin, Tapash Ranjan Das, and Farid Uddin Ahmed. 2014. “Introducing Menstrual Regulation with Medication in Bangladesh,” STEP UP Policy Brief, May 2014. Dhaka: Population Council.

https://www.popcouncil.org/uploads/pdfs/2014STEPUP_BangladeshMRM_PolicyBrief.pdf