NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Notes Reproductive Health - Free PDF Download

Class 12 NCERT Notes for Reproductive Health: In NCERT Class 12 Reproductive Health, you will study that reproductive health is generally defined as the healthy and proper/normal functioning of all the reproductive organs covering all reproductive aspects. Through the NCERT notes for CBSE Class 12 biology Reproductive Health, you will be able to solve all the doubts and questions of this chapter. These NCERT Class 12 Biology Reproductive Health notes will help you score good marks in the exams.

Reproductive Health Class 12 notes will let you know many things about reproductive health like we were one of the first countries in the world to launch action schemes and programs on family planning to accomplish reproductive health as a social goal along with its awareness. Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes, will also tell you that it was initiated at a national level in the year 1951 to generate awareness regarding various aspects pertaining to reproduction by rendering facilities and support to establish a reproductively healthy society.

Also check:

• NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Reproductive Health
• NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Biology Solutions Chapter 4 Reproductive Health

These are the various steps taken by governmental and non-governmental agencies to create awareness among the citizens about reproduction-related aspects which is mentioned in the class 12 Biology chapter 4 notes:

• Awareness about family planning.

• Introduction of Sex education in schools.

• All printed materials were distributed to create awareness.

• Using Audio and Video on Powerpoint Slides on Reproductive Health.

• Complete information about the reproductive organs, adolescence, safe and hygienic sexual practices, sexually transmitted diseases, birth control methods, care of mother and newborn child, etc.

Reproductive Health Biology Notes for Class 12: Birth Control to Stabilize Population:

• An exponential rise in the population from the time of independence until May 2011 was contributed to factors such as rapid decline in the death rate, infant mortality rate (IMR), the maternal mortality rate (MMR), and a sharp rise in the reproducible age are deemed to the contributing factors.

• The Reproductive Child Health program (RCH program) was effective only marginally to bring down the population growth rate.

• The government was forced to take up stern measures as a result of the alarming growth rate leading to the insufficiency of basic requirements.

• The most important method of reducing the population growth rate is encouraging people to have smaller families through the use of various contraceptives. Additionally, there were popular slogans like Hum do Hamare do, raising the marriageable age, providing incentives to couples with smaller families, and many more.

• Contraceptive methods have a broad range covering natural/traditional methods (periodic abstinence), IUDs, barriers (diaphragms, condoms, cervical caps, vaults), oral contraceptives (pills), implants, surgical methods (sterilization), injectables, and many other measures.

Reproductive Health Class 12th Biology Notes: Medical Termination Of Pregnancy (MTP)

• MTP or induced abortion was legalized in India in 1971 with strict conditions to avoid any misuse. It refers to the voluntary or intentional termination of pregnancy before reaching the full term

• It is considered safe until the first trimester after which increases the chances of being at a riskier place

NCERT Notes for Class 12 Biology Reproductive Health: Infertility

• The state of being unable to produce offspring even after sexual intercourse is referred to as infertility which can be contributed to factors– congenital, physical, drugs, psychological, immunological and these are mentioned in the class 12th Biology chapter 4 notes.

• To assist such couples there are specialized techniques– ART(assisted reproductive technologies) which covers IVF (Invitro fertilization) and ET(Embryo transfer)

Class 12 Biology Reproductive Health Notes: Importance Of Reproductive Health

• Reproductive Health conveys complete awareness of various sexually transmitted diseases.

• Provides accurate information about sexual life, reproduction, contraception methods.

• According to the class 12th Biology chapter 4, it also helps in maintaining safe sexual and reproductive health.

• With this awareness, an individual can protect themselves from sexually transmitted infections and diseases.

• It provides a complete education to all pregnant mothers about how to take care of their health, to have proper medicines, to maintain good health and hygiene when they are pregnant, have a safe delivery, and deliver a healthy baby.

Reproductive Health Problems and Strategies:

1. In NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Notes, you will learn that reproductive health simply pertains to healthy reproductive organs with normal functions. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), reproductive health means total well-being in all aspects of reproduction, i.e. physical, emotional, behavioral, and social.

2. The improved reproductive health of society requires the following factors:

• Better awareness about sex-related matters.

• Increased number of medically assisted deliveries and better postnatal care leading to decreased maternal and infant mortality rates.

• Increased number of couples with small families.

• Better detection and cure of STDs.

• Overall increased medical facilities for all sex-related problems.

3. Some of the measures taken for awareness of reproductive health which you will study in Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes and these are:

(i) Family planning programs were introduced in India in 1951 and periodically evaluated since then. Class 12th Biology chapter 4 notes also tell you that the programs were improved and covered reproduction-related areas under the popular name Reproductive and Child Healthcare (RCH) programs. It was launched in 1997.

Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes:
Major tasks of RCH program are:

• Creating awareness among the people about reproduction-related aspects.

• Providing facilities and support for building up a reproductively healthy society. Governmental and non-governmental agencies have taken various important steps to create awareness among people about reproduction-related aspects.

(ii) Promoting sex education at schools can help absolve adolescents of myths about sex and misinformation about sex issues by providing them with information that is accurate. It is important for adolescents to understand reproductive organs, adolescence and the changes that occur, safe and healthy sexual practices, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), AIDS, etc.

(iii) Married couples or those in the marriageable age group should be educated about available birth control options, care of pregnant mothers, postnatal care of the mother and child, the importance of breastfeeding, equal opportunities for the male and the female child, etc. This will lead to the formation of socially conscious healthy families of the desired size.

(iv) To implement action plans to address reproduction-related problems, pregnancy, delivery, STDs, abortions, contraception, menstrual problems, infertility, etc., it is necessary to have strong support and adequate infrastructure.

(v) The statutory ban on amniocentesis: It is a method of prenatal diagnosis in which a sample of amniotic fluid is taken from a pregnant woman in order to detect the fetal development. The benefits of amniocentesis are the diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities and developmental disorders of foetus. However, it is being misused for the sex-determination of foetus that leads to female foeticides. Therefore, statutory ban on amniocentesis for sex determination keeps checking on female foeticides.

4. Population explosion: The tremendous increase in size and growth rate of population is called population explosion. It occurs due to increased health facilities and better living conditions.

(i) Reasons of population explosion are:

• Decrease death rate.

• Declined maternal mortality rate.

• Decreased infant mortality rate.

• Increase in the number of people of reproductive age.

(ii) According to the 2001 census report, the population growth rate was around 1.7%, i.e. 17/1000/year. And also according to NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Notes, our population could double in 33 years.

5. Methods to prevent population explosion are:

(i) Raising the marriageable age to 18 years for females and 21 years for males.

(ii) Couples with small families should be given some incentives.

(iii) Birth control is an important step to control population growth by motivating smaller families to use contraceptive methods.

6. Contraceptive methods are ideal if they are user-friendly, easily available, effective, reversible with no side effects, and non-interfering with the sexual drive, desire, and sexual act.

In Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes, you will study that there are several methods of birth control. These are categorized mainly as follow:

(i) Natural method of birth control involves avoiding chances of sperm and ovum meet. NCERT class 12 Biology chapter 4 notes will tell you how to achieve that:

• Periodic abstinence in which couples avoid coitus from day 10-17 (Fertile period) of the menstrual cycle. In this period, ovulation is expected to occur and chances of fertilisation are very high. Also called as the rhythm method or natural family planning.

• Coitus interruptus also called ‘rejected sexual intercourse’ or ‘pull-out method or withdrawal. In this method, the penis is withdrawn, from the vagina just before ejaculation.

• Lactational amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation during the period of lactation following parturition. Because ovulation does not occur in this period, the chances of conception are none. This method is reliable for a maximum period of six months after delivery.

(ii) Barrier methods are based on the prevention of ovum and sperm from physically meeting with the help of barriers. In NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Notes, you will learn that barriers may be chemical or mechanical:

• Condoms are mechanical barriers made of thin rubber or latex sheath to cover the penis in males or vagina and cervix in females which prevent the meeting of sperm and ova. Condoms also provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases. They are disposable and can be self inserted and thereby gives privacy to the user.

• Diaphragms, cervical caps, and vaults are also mechanical barriers, made of rubber that are inserted into the female reproductive tract to cover the cervix during coitus. They are reusable.

• Spermicidal creams, jellies and foams are chemical barriers, usually used along with these barriers to increase their contraceptive efficiency.

(iii) Intra Uterine Devices:

IUDs are the devices introduced in the uterus through the vagina by doctors or expert nurses. Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes will tell you that these are of the following types:

• Non-medicated IUDs, e.g. lippes loop.

• Copper-releasing IUDs, e.g. Cu-T, Cu-7, multi-load 375.

• Hormone-releasing IUDs, e.g. progestasert, LNG 20.

NCERT Class 12 Biology Reproductive Health Notes will also tell you that IUDs prevent contraception in the following ways:

• Increase phagocytosis of sperms within the uterus.

• Some IUDs suppress sperm motility and fertilising ability of sperm by releasing copper ions.

• The hormone releasing IUDs make uterus unsuitable for implantation and make the cervix hostile to sperms.

• IUDs are ideal contraceptives for females who want to delay pregnancy. It is one of most widely accepted contraception method in India.

(iv) Oral contraceptives are hormonal preparations in the form of pills.

(a) Pills are small doses of either progestogens or progesterone-estrogen combinations.

(b) Oral pills alter/inhibit ovulation and implantation and also modify the quality of cervical mucus to prevent/retard entry of sperms.

(c) Oral pills have to be taken daily for a period of 21 days starting within the first five days of the menstrual cycle as it is mentioned in NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 4 Notes.

(d) Saheli an example of an oral contraceptive developed by scientists at Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) Lucknow, contains a non-steroid called centchroman. In Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes you will study that it is a once-a-week pill, with very few side effects.

(v) Replants or injections are effective for a longer period, although their mode of action is similar to oral contraceptives. Progesterone alone or in combination with estrogen are used by females as injections or implants under the skin.

(vi) Emergency contraceptives: It include administration of progesterone or progestogen and oestrogen combinations or IUDs within 72 hours of coitus. It has been found to be very effective to avoid the possible pregnancy due to rape or casual unprotected intercourse.

Reproductive Health Class 12 Biology Notes:

Sterilisation or surgical methods: These are used by male/female partners as a terminal method to prevent any more pregnancies. These methods block the transport of gametes and prevent contraception.

And Reproductive Health Class 12th Notes will let you know that these methods are:

(a) Vasectomy is applied in the case of males. In this method, a small portion of vas deferens is removed or tied up through an incision on the scrotum.

(b) Tubectomy is applied in females, where a small part of the Fallopian tubes is removed or tied up through a small incision in the abdomen or through the vagina.

(7) Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) or induced abortion is intentional or

voluntary termination of pregnancy before full term.

1. The Government of India had legalized MTP in 1971 with some strict conditions to avoid its misuse. These are important to check indiscriminate and illegal female foeticides which are reported to be high in India.

2. MTPs are performed if pregnancy is likely to harm either the mother or the fetus or both, or if contraception fails during coitus or rape.

3. It is considered relatively safe during the first trimester (up to 12 weeks) of pregnancy.

4. During the second trimester, MTPs are unsafe and could be fatal too.

5. Around 45-50 MTPs are performed in the world every year. Its purpose is not to decrease population, but it plays an important role in doing so.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases:

1. Trichomoniasis:

The root cause of this disease is the protozoon Trichomonas Vaginalis. A white discharge from the vagina, a foul smell, and constant itching are common symptoms of this disease. A male is known to be the carrier of this parasite, and females are known to suffer from it. It is therefore important that both partners receive sufficient medication to eliminate this parasite. And you can also get class 12 Reproductive Health notes by downloading them.

Prevention of Trichomoniasis:

• The disease can be prevented by maintaining good hygiene of sexual organs, especially during menstruation in women.

• It can also be prevented by using the barrier method during coitus.

2. AIDS:

In NCERT Class 12 Biology Reproductive Health Notes, you will study that Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome affects on one’s immune system and is transferred due to sexual activity or intercourse. This disease can lead to certain death.

Prevention of AIDS:

• Avoid sexual contact with multiple persons/partners

• Using disposable syringes and needles

• During a blood transfusion, take proper precautions

• Use of barrier contraceptives during coitus

You can also read offline this Reproductive Health class 12 biology notes pdf
by downloading them for free.

Subject wise NCERT Exampler solutions

• NCERT Exemplar Class 12 Solutions

• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Maths

• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Physics

• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Chemistry

• NCERT Exemplar Class 12th Biology

Subject wise NCERT solutions

• NCERT solutions for class 12 mathematics

• NCERT solutions for class 12 chemistry

• NCERT solutions for class 12 physics

• NCERT solutions for class 12 biology