By K. Govindan mand. THE POTENTIALLY lethal Norplant is only the latest in a long line of contraceptives that population agencies and drugs companies are using in experiments on women in the third world.
The "neo-Malthusians" think that the answer to underdevelopment in the poor countries is to keep the birth rate at replacement level.
This suits the drug companies down to the ground. Reproduction technology is big business.
The decisions of last year's Cairo conference on population and development was a windfall - its programme of serviced action reads like a charter for them to print money. It endorses the supply of contra- of campaigns by health and ceptives regardless of de- womens' organisations, such as Forum Against Oppression In the United States Nor- of Women and Stree Shakti plant sped through its trials in Sanghatana. spite of scientific concern It is prescribed for poor over its long term effects on women mainly in the rural arwomen - probably because eas. Once implanted these from it was primarily in- women are rarely looked at tended for use in the Third again. The facilities for regularly monitoring do not exist, and even where they do Welfare women cannot afford to However, even in the US, travel to the nearest clinic formany women on welfare going a day's wages. benefits are forced to have an Yet Norplant is supposed implant under the threat of to be removed after five years, or else it can have fatal welfare withdrawal.
African-American women consecuences. in particular - who are over- A survey conducted in Indonesia revealed that 11 per represented among the unemployed and poor - have been cent of women using the contargeted by courts and social traceptive experienced sympAtoms of heart disease. Other side-effects range from ovarIn India Norplant has been undergoing trials in the face ian cysts to weight gain, fortnightly menstruation, nausea, depression and mood swings.
The Norplan experience highlights the distortion of the meaning of reproductive rights that is being perpetrated: it is limited to access to contraception. No attention is shown to reproductive health as a whole.
No control Furthermore, women are allowed no control over these devices - Norplant can only be surgically removed by health professionals. The right for women to make free informed choices about the kind of contraceptive that is most suitable for them and the knowledge of its consequences is denied.
The neo-Malthusians aren't interested, their economics cannot kill poverty - it only kills the poor.
our lives our right to decide Imperialism denies third world women real choices Our bodies
June 24 HE 10 31г DEN TON NO PORTATIN HERE NERVES AVEA RIGHTEO STA