Contraceptive advertising as a right to information: Reproductive rights in Sri Lanka

Different forms of contraceptives were advertised in print media from late 1940s in Sri Lanka. The Social Marketing approach in selling contraceptives was first introduced to the world in 1969 with the Nirodh condom in India. As part of this global trend of social marketing of contraceptives the Population Services International with the support of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka marketed condoms (Preethi–Joy/happiness) in May 1973 and oral contraceptives (Mithuri–female friend) in December 1974 in Sri Lanka and in the same year it became an over-the-counter drug. Due to the social marketing of contraceptive campaign, very illustrious advertisements appeared in print media in 1970s. By early 1990s these advertisements stopped appearing in print media. Even though the television was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1979, contraceptives were never advertised in electronic media. I attempt to interrogate the meaning of non-advertising of contraceptives with regard to reproductive health and rights of women in Sri Lanka. I will answer this question by analysing the legislative and policy framework of contraceptive advertising in Sri Lanka. I deployed a content analysis method on three public health documents published by the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka namely National Medicines Regulatory Authority Act No 5 of 2015, National Medicines (Registration and Licensing of Medicine) Regulations 2019, and Guidelines of Advertising Medicines and Medicinal Products to General Public 2019. Since public health in Sri Lanka is a welfare initiative, state provides free health care to all, hence, the state regulates advertising of medicines and medicinal products in Sri Lanka. Given the regulations of advertising medicines, I contend that by not advertising oral contraceptives the state has deprived people especially women of necessary information to enjoy reproductive health and rights. Having oral contraceptives over the counter appears at the outset as a very liberal initiative. Of course, liberal access to contraceptives gives women some control over their reproductive bodies, but how would they enjoy reproductive rights when they are denied of medical examination about its suitability.