IN A move that is aimed at curbing the unwanted pregnancies and improve antenatal care India has so far distributed 65 million pregnancy test strips amongst the women in the rural belt.

According to the Ministry of Health such a move has helped the women in taking important decisions about starting a family. The pregnancy test results were carried out in two phases in India by distributing Pregnancy Test Cards (PTC’s). The first phase of the test involved 11 states and the second phase involved 17 states.

The key points that this initiative highlighted included tarting ante-natal care in first trimester, contraceptive measures and unsafe abortions caused because of late detection of pregnancy. At the on set of this program, a joint secretary with the ministry of health said that when the program kick started there were initially some problems in a few pockets even though the pregnancy test strips empowered the rural women to take decision about an unborn child.

The pregnancy test results were implemented along with contraceptive major, Hindustan Latex Ltd that helped in getting this program started in two major phases as stated above. The total amount spent on this initiative was about Rs 100 million. The main focus area were states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where success could not be achieved without ample information being rolled out.

Similar pregnancy test results were carried out other parts of the world with the main focus area being the United Kingdom wherein scientists at Edinburgh University have declared that protein activin B could prove a major key in identifying the results and carrying out appropriate treatment as most cases go unidentified in the first hospital visit.

The pregnancy test accuracy can be found in the journals of Edinburgh University’s test reports where researchers have claimed that women with one aborted pregnancy lack protein activin B when compared to normal pregnancies.