KASHMIR has witnessed a rise in miscarriages in recent years and there is little awareness about the issue, a report carried by this newspaper has revealed. According to the National Family Health Survey for 2019-21, 8 percent of foetuses are lost because of abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth, while 92 percent of pregnancies result in live births. In a simple yes or no poll carried out by Yakjut, a Facebook group only for Kashmiri women, 18 out of 23 women who took part reported having suffered from a miscarriage or an abortion. Miscarriages account for 5 percent of all pregnancies in the region, and globally, about 1 in 10 women experience a miscarriage over their lifetime.
But miscarriages remain a hushed topic in the Valley. The silence perpetuates the misconception that it is a private matter not to be openly discussed. This societal attitude creates an atmosphere of shame and prevents women from seeking the support they desperately need. Moreover, women who experience miscarriage often face unjust blame and accusations, adding to their emotional distress and isolation.
Miscarriage is a deeply personal and emotionally devastating experience, affecting a significant number of women worldwide. According to a survey in The Lancet, an estimated 23 million miscarriages occur every year, translating to 44 pregnancy losses each minute. While there is a need to take remedial measures to address the health issue, cultural beliefs and societal attitudes around this naturally occurring event also need to change. They contribute to the stigma surrounding this loss.
In another survey that is connected to the one about miscarriages, J&K has the lowest fertility rate in the country, with a 0.6 percent decrease in the fertility rate from the last survey in 2015-16, according to the National Family Health Survey for 2019-21. This only aggravates the problem of miscarriages. Successive miscarriages would mean that the women experiencing it won’t be able to bear a child. And this can be devastating in a society where childbearing is viewed as central to women’s role and identity.
Miscarriages, as a result, can have deep psychological consequences and also be damaging to a woman’s sense of self-worth. This is why there is an urgent need for steps to improve the situation. And to begin with, we need to create more awareness about the issue through news media and also call into question the negative societal attitudes towards it. There is not much we can do to prevent the occurrence of miscarriages, but we can together help ameliorate the social and psychological factors that trigger them on a large scale.
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