MASS MEDIA EXPOSURE AND AWARENESS ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING ANDREPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AMONG CHILD BEARING WOMEN IN SILCHARTOWN OF ASSAM

Abstract

India was the first sovereign nation to have implemented family planning programme way back in 1952 but
paradoxically even with the expansion and reach of mass media, India is the second most populous country
in the world today. The success story of any developing country is based on the overall development of its
women folk. Their overall growth not only uplifts a particular woman but influences the overall
development of her family as a whole. These virtues, ideas and thoughts still remain in its theoretical phase
to the women of India. Time and again an opposite picture has been revealed of our women folk. Illiteracy,
poverty, malnutrition, health hazards, male dominance and customs have grasped the root level of the
mindset of majority of Indian women folk. Educational programmes through mass media pertaining to
reproductive health can bring in the much required changes to curb the menaces prevailing in our society in
this regard. Mass Media today has widened the mental horizon of the people by providing sound knowledge
about reproductive health care especially family planning, female infanticide, female foeticide, family size,
antenatal care, postnatal care etc. In fact, it has the ability to bring positive changes for health consciousness
and encouraging an adoption of healthful lifestyles among the people.
Thus, the proposed study is aimed to assess the role of mass media exposure of women in urban areas in
generating the awareness about family planning and reproductive health in Silchar town of Assam.