Overpopulation - How To Curb It?

With the world’s population skyrocketing every ten years, overpopulation has become a serious threat to our own existence. India is currently home to 1.2 billion, and its population is expected to reach 1.8 billion by the middle of the century.

With economic inequality leading to a dozen problems – lack of social security, poor living condition, and lack of access to free medical facilities – the problem of overpopulation needs to be addressed today.

Here are a few measures we can take to curb overpopulation in the country –

• Better Education – Educating the masses will allow knowledge and awareness to permeate the society. With better education, families facing a hard life will be discouraged to have more than two children. The knowledge of sex education is vital in this context. Most parents shy away from discussing such things with their children. This results in kids turning to other sources for information. Most of the times, the information is incomplete, which leads to sexually active adolescents, unaware of contraceptives, engaging in an irresponsible act.

• Family Planning Awareness – Family planning awareness and having fair knowledge of the consequences of overpopulation can help curb population growth. They should be made familiar with the concept of family planning – not having more than two offspring. One effective way to arouse awareness is to let them know about contraceptives and safe sex practice to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

• Birth Control Pills – Birth control pills are usually effective – there are 99% chances that you will be protected against unplanned pregnancy if you start taking combination pills within 5 days of getting your periods. The effectiveness of birth control pills depends on when and what type of pill you are taking. It is advisable that you seek a doctor’s consultation before using any such pills.

• Safe Sex Techniques – In a developed country like India, every sexually active individual should have access to affordable contraception. Practice safe sex techniques – condoms and contraceptive pills. When used in the correct manner, condoms are a reliable way of preventing pregnancy. Besides, these protect you against sexually transmitted diseases.

Rapid and uncontrolled population growth is a serious issue and calls for immediate attention. If adequate measures are not taken at the right time, we may not be able to survive in the decades to come.

Luckily, the Government has come forward to implement necessary steps, such as family planning plans to curb overpopulation. Many schools and NGOs are now introducing sex education to raise awareness among students and common people. Parents and guardians have also been encouraged to discuss safe sex methods with children.