Doctors and health experts have raised concern over reproductive health problems in Jammu and Kashmir, citing delayed marriages, lifestyle changes and conditions such as polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome(PMOS) as among the factors that can affect fertility.
The concerns come as the region’s fertility rate drops. As per the latest National Family Health Survey-6 (2023-24), the total fertility rate in Jammu and Kashmir is 1.8 children per woman.
Doctors stressed, however, that these are different problems—a declining population-level fertility rate and infertility at the individual level—and should not be conflated.
Dr. Rakshanda Akhter, a gynaecologist with the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir, said there could be several biological and social reasons for infertility, one of them being delayed marriage.
“Late marriage has become one of the common factors we encounter. Female fertility naturally declines with advancing age, particularly as ovarian reserve and egg quality decrease. Many women are now entering marriage in their late 30s or even after that, which can have implications for their reproductive potential,” she told KNO.
She cited unemployment, long preparation for government jobs, financial pressures, expensive wedding arrangements and social expectations as some of the reasons for the delay in marriages.
PMOS is also common in women of reproductive age and can affect conception when ovulation is irregular or absent, Akhter said.
“PMOS is increasingly being seen among women of reproductive age. Obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy food habits, stress and metabolic problems can aggravate the condition. Since PMOS can result in irregular or absent ovulation, it can make conception difficult,” she said.
Doctors said that PMOS does not mean a woman is infertile and many women with the condition can conceive with the right treatment and lifestyle changes.
Another gynaecologist, Dr. Shagufta of DHSK, said infertility should not be blamed on PMOS alone. She said other possible causes of reproductive damage are pelvic inflammatory disease and complications from unsafe abortions and procedures.
“Pelvic infections, if left untreated, can cause damage to the reproductive tract and may subsequently result in infertility. Unsafe abortions and procedures carried out at unregistered facilities or by untrained persons can also lead to severe complications,” she said.
Doctors also pointed to obesity, physical inactivity, processed food, stress and inadequate sleep as possible aggravators for reproductive-health problems.
They stressed that infertility is a problem for men and women and should not automatically be considered a women’s issue.
Experts called for increased awareness, timely access to gynaecological care, prevention and management of reproductive-tract infections and evidence-based fertility counselling.
