Unintended pregnancy 43% among garment workers: Study

The rate of unintended pregnancy among garment workers in the country is 43%, which is twice as high as the national average, as revealed in recent research. 

According to the research, Understanding the Factors Driving Unintended Pregnancies among Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh: A Socio-Ecological Perspective, at the national level the rate is around 21%.

Tashfiha Nusrat Ruhi, research investigator at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), presented the research at The National Conference 2023: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Bangladesh held at Hotel Intercontinental in the capital on Wednesday.

The conference was organised by Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health by the icddr,b, where results of several studies were published.

This year the main theme of the conference was Showcasing Research through Ideas, Ingenuity and Innovations.

The first round of the study on unintended pregnancies among garment workers was conducted by collecting data from 656 married female garment workers in Tongi, Mirpur and Karail slums from August to December 2022.

Tashfiha Nusrat Ruhi told The Business Standard that the higher rate of unintended pregnancy among garment workers can be attributed to reasons such as early marriage, irregular use of contraception, perceived side effects of contraceptives, and lack of adequate knowledge.

She said, "According to the garment workers we spoke with, the long working hours at their factories make it difficult to consistently use contraception."

"We have examined this issue through a gender lens and found that although female garment workers make significant economic contributions, their involvement in decision-making is limited," the researcher noted.

She also said, "We will continue the research qualitatively and quantitatively over the next two years to monitor trends of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights among garment workers."

Another study presented at the conference showed a decline in the rate of menstrual regulation (MR) among women in the country.

The study, "Menstrual Regulation Service: A Success Story to Address Inequity Built over the Years in Bangladesh", revealed that the rate of menstrual regulation among women in the country decreased from 6.4% in 2014 to 5.2% in 2017-2018. Additionally, the disparity between rich and poor women in accessing menstrual regulation has narrowed.

Menstrual regulation is a medical procedure used to regulate or terminate menstrual bleeding. It is typically used by women who have missed a period, have experienced irregular menstrual cycles, or want to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

Fariya Rahman, researcher of the study, noted, "In 2011, the ratio of accessing MR between rich and poor women was 1 to 4. Now, it has come to 1 to 2."

At the event, two eminent gynecologists and a public health expert – National Professor Shahla Khatun, Professor TA Chowdhury and Dr Halida Hanum Akter – received SRHR Excellent Award 2023 for their contribution in sexual and reproductive health rights.

Secretary of the Health Services Division Md Anwar Hossain Howlader, who was present as the chief guest on the occasion, said that sexual and reproductive healthcare are the rights of every person. "So we have to ensure a friendly hospital environment so that people are not harassed while going for these services."

At the event, young researchers presented their research proposals and innovative ideas that will contribute to ensuring sexual and reproductive health for people, particularly in the key population like sex workers, transgender and drug addicts.