Condom usage plunges in Odisha as family planning trend changes

IN the evolving family planning landscape of Odisha, use of condom has recorded a steady decline, while preference for weekly pill has spiked to a significant extent in the last six years between 2018-19 and 2023-24, revealed the Odisha Economic Survey 2024-25.

- SUDARSAN MAHARANA @Bhubaneswar

Citing the statistics of the Health and Family Welfare department, the survey report stated that condom usage has declined gradually by 8.3 per cent points in the last six years. From 24.4 per cent in 2018-19, the use of condom plummeted to 16.1 per cent in 2023-24.

Among all the contraceptive methods, the report revealed that Centchroman, a weekly tablet, has emerged as the most popular and preferred choice for family planning, followed by injectables. As of 2023-24, the statistics showed that around 24.4 per cent women used Centchroman compared to only 0.3 per cent in 2018-19.

Though Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCDs) like Copper-T stood second in preference among the population, the report suggested that its use has recorded a sharp decline in the last six years with only 17.9 per cent using it in 2023-24 compared to 31.8 per cent in 2018-19.