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Reproductive ill-health is high among women in India. Unfortunately, it has not received the deserving attention among neither the public nor social scientists. Compared to other parts of the country, south Indian women live longer, but experience numerous reproductive ill-health problems. The socio-demographic achievements of south Indian states are not mirrored in their levels of ill-health, particularly among married women. This book describes the levels, patterns and determinants of reproductive ill-health among women in south India by disentangling them into the categories of contraceptive, obstetric and gynaecological ill-health issues. Policy suggestions based on the study´s conclusions constitute an important part of this volume.

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Krishnakumar C.S., Ph.D in Demography, is Chairman, Institute of Development Research (IDR), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He has published a host of papers in scholarly journals, both at the national and international levels. His recent research work includes the Kottayam District Human Development Report 2009.

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