Pregnancy
The Maternity Benefit Act provides twenty-six weeks of paid leave for the first two children, one of the most generous entitlements anywhere, though it reaches only the small share of women in formal employment. For everyone else, public schemes provide free institutional delivery and conditional cash transfers designed to encourage giving birth in a facility, with community health workers as the main link to care.
India's Maternity Benefit Act gives twenty-six weeks of fully paid leave, among the longest in the world, together with nursing breaks and a crèche requirement for larger employers. The qualification is decisive: it applies to the formal sector, which employs a minority of working women. For everyone else, the relevant scheme is a conditional cash transfer for institutional delivery and a national programme of free antenatal care.
Key points
| Maternity leave | Twenty-six weeks paid for the first two children, in the formal sector |
|---|---|
| Coverage gap | The great majority of women work informally and are outside the Act |
| Free delivery | Public schemes cover delivery, caesarean, transport and medicines |
| Cash transfers | Conditional payments to encourage institutional delivery |
| ASHA workers | Community health workers accompany women through antenatal care and delivery |
| Antenatal care | At least four visits recommended; eight contacts in the current standard |
| Private sector | Widely used, with high out-of-pocket costs and very high caesarean rates |
In practice
- Register the pregnancy with the ASHA worker early: the schemes run through her.
- Public delivery schemes cover transport both ways — ask for it rather than paying.
- Keep the mother and child protection card at every visit.
- Caesarean rates in the private sector are far above clinical need: ask why one is being proposed.
Cost and coverage
Public antenatal care and delivery are free, including transport; private care is expensive.
Recent changes
The maternity benefit has been extended to twenty-six weeks for the formal sector, and the national free-entitlement scheme guarantees free delivery, medicines, diagnostics, diet and transport in public facilities.
Where to go
- ASHA workers and auxiliary nurse midwives.
- Primary health centres and district hospitals.
- Anganwadi centres for nutrition support.
Worth knowing
Caesarean rates in the private sector are several times those in public hospitals, well beyond any clinical justification. Ask for the medical reason and, if there is time, a second opinion.
Frequently asked questions
Who is covered by the twenty-six weeks?
Women in establishments covered by the Maternity Benefit Act — factories, shops and establishments above a threshold — who have worked eighty days in the preceding year. Informal, casual and domestic workers, the large majority of working women in India, are outside it.
What is available outside the formal sector?
Free antenatal care and delivery in public facilities under the national health mission, with a dedicated free-care entitlement for pregnant women, and a conditional cash transfer for a first live birth intended to offset lost wages and encourage facility delivery.
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
Periods and period products
India removed the 12 % goods and services tax from sanitary napkins in July 2018 after a national campaign. Access policy runs through subsidised supply rather than free provision by law: the Jan Aushadhi Kendras — government generic pharmacies, more than ten thousand of them — sell biodegradable “Suvidha” pads at one rupee each, the Menstrual Hygiene Scheme distributes subsidised packs to rural adolescent girls through health workers, and several states supply free pads in government schools. A national menstrual hygiene policy was drafted in 2023.
There is no national menstrual leave. Bihar has granted two days a month to women state employees since 1992, Kerala extended leave to students of its state universities in 2023, and a few companies offer it; the Supreme Court asked the central government in 2024 to frame a model policy without imposing one.
Endometriosis is diagnosed and treated mainly in private gynaecology, with public medical colleges as the affordable alternative; insurance covers hospitalisation and surgery but rarely consultations, and awareness remains low. The Endometriosis Society of India runs patient programmes.
Reusable products — cups, cloth pads, period underwear — are also GST-free; nothing is reimbursed.
Key points
| GST | 0 % since July 2018 (12 % before) |
|---|---|
| Subsidised supply | Suvidha pads at ₹1 in Jan Aushadhi Kendras; Menstrual Hygiene Scheme for rural adolescents |
| Schools | Free pads in government schools in several states |
| Menstrual leave | Bihar (state employees, 1992), Kerala (university students, 2023); no national law |
| Endometriosis | Mostly private gynaecology; medical colleges as public option; surgery insured, consultations rarely |
In practice
- Look for the nearest Jan Aushadhi Kendra: Suvidha pads cost one rupee each.
- Ask the school or the ASHA worker about free or subsidised packs.
- For pelvic pain, see a gynaecologist at a medical college if cost matters; ask about endometriosis by name.
What it costs
A cycle costs roughly ₹30 to ₹200 in disposables, GST-free, or ₹10 with Suvidha pads. Nothing is reimbursed.
What has changed recently
The Supreme Court's 2024 intervention and the draft national policy of 2023 have put menstrual leave and school provision on the agenda without a national law yet.
Where to find help
- Jan Aushadhi Kendras (PMBJP): one-rupee Suvidha pads.
- State education departments and ASHA workers: school and rural schemes.
- Endometriosis Society of India.
- Menstrual Hygiene Scheme, Ministry of Health.
Worth knowing
Tax-free does not mean affordable: most Indian women still cannot buy commercial pads regularly. The one-rupee pads and cloth alternatives exist for that reason.
Frequently asked questions
Is there GST on sanitary pads in India?
No, not since July 2018.
Is there menstrual leave in India?
Only in a few states — Bihar for state employees, Kerala for university students — and some companies. No national law.
Where can I find cheap pads?
Jan Aushadhi Kendras sell Suvidha pads at one rupee each; ASHA workers distribute subsidised packs in rural areas.
Sources
- Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana — one-rupee Suvidha pads
- Ministry of Health — Menstrual Hygiene Scheme — subsidised pads for rural adolescents
The general article: Periods and period products · Compare with another country
Sex therapy
No recognised specialty and a flood of self-styled “sexologists”; only registered doctors and licensed clinical psychologists are accountable, and outpatient care is rarely insured.
India has no regulated profession of sexologist and no recognised medical specialty in sexual medicine: the National Medical Commission recognises psychiatry, urology and dermatology-venereology, but not sexology. Clinical psychologists are licensed by the Rehabilitation Council of India after a two-year M.Phil; counsellors are not regulated. The word “sexologist” is therefore free — and it is used above all by unqualified practitioners, whose advertisements cover walls, newspapers and search results in every city.
Qualified care comes from three directions. Psychiatrists, the specialists most involved in sexual dysfunction, although sexology is taught in few residencies; urologists and gynaecologists for erectile dysfunction, pain and hormonal problems; and a small number of clinical psychologists trained in sex therapy. The Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International gathers several hundred doctors who practise sexology, and the Indian Psychiatric Society has a specialty section. A legitimate practitioner is registered with the National Medical Commission or a state medical council, or with the Rehabilitation Council for psychologists.
Public hospitals and medical colleges see patients in psychiatry, urology and gynaecology outpatient departments for nominal registration fees, with crowds and little privacy. Privately, a consultation with a psychiatrist or urologist in a metro costs roughly 800 to 3,000 rupees; sex-therapy sessions with a clinical psychologist are similar.
Insurance helps little. The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 obliges insurers to cover mental illness like physical illness, but policies overwhelmingly cover hospitalisation, not outpatient consultations; Ayushman Bharat covers inpatient care for eligible families. Sex therapy is an outpatient service, so it is almost always paid out of pocket.
Key points
| Title | Unregulated; “sexology” not a recognised specialty |
|---|---|
| Regulated professions nearby | Doctors (NMC and state medical councils); clinical psychologists (Rehabilitation Council of India) |
| Who is qualified | Psychiatrists, urologists, gynaecologists, dermato-venereologists; RCI-licensed clinical psychologists |
| Professional bodies | Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International; Indian Psychiatric Society |
| Public hospitals | Outpatient departments for nominal fees |
| Insurance | Mainly hospitalisation; outpatient therapy rarely covered |
| Private cost | About 800–3,000 rupees a consultation in large cities |
In practice
- Check the doctor's registration on the National Medical Commission's register or the state council's, and a psychologist's on the RCI register.
- Prefer a psychiatrist, urologist or gynaecologist attached to a hospital or medical college over a stand-alone “sexology clinic”.
- Never buy medicines from a consultation that did not include an examination; sildenafil and hormones are prescription drugs.
- Telemedicine platforms now list registered psychiatrists and psychologists, which can help in smaller towns and for privacy.
Cost and reimbursement
Public outpatient department: nominal fee. Private psychiatrist, urologist or clinical psychologist: 800–3,000 rupees, out of pocket; insurance rarely pays for outpatient consultations.
What has changed recently
Medical associations and several city authorities have campaigned against unqualified “sexologist” clinics, whose signboards have been removed from main roads in some cities; the practices reappear online. No move to recognise sexual medicine as a specialty has succeeded.
Where to go
- National Medical Commission: register of doctors.
- Rehabilitation Council of India: register of clinical psychologists.
- Council of Sex Education and Parenthood International; Indian Psychiatric Society.
- Psychiatry, urology and gynaecology departments of medical colleges.
Worth knowing
The word “sexologist” in India is more often a warning than a credential. Guaranteed cures, secret herbal remedies, injections without a diagnosis and consultations without examination are the marks of quackery, and they are widespread.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a qualification called sexologist in India?
No. The qualified practitioners are psychiatrists, urologists, gynaecologists and RCI-licensed clinical psychologists who have trained in sexual medicine or sex therapy.
Will my health insurance pay for sex therapy?
Almost never: most policies cover hospitalisation, and sex therapy is outpatient. The 2017 Act requires mental illness to be covered like physical illness, but that rarely reaches consultations.
How do I spot a quack?
No verifiable registration, guaranteed results, herbal or secret remedies, injections at the first visit, and medicines sold on the spot.
Sources
- National Medical Commission — register of doctors
- Rehabilitation Council of India — register of clinical psychologists
The general article: Sex therapy · Compare with another country
Mental health
A 2017 law that made care a right and decriminalised attempted suicide, and a national tele-counselling line.
The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 established a right to mental health care, required informed consent and advance directives, and effectively decriminalised attempted suicide by presuming severe stress. A national tele-mental health programme provides free counselling by phone in many languages. Implementation remains uneven, the treatment gap is very large, and district mental health programmes carry most of the public load.
Key points
| Legal right | The 2017 Act establishes a right to mental health care |
|---|---|
| Attempted suicide | Effectively decriminalised: severe stress is presumed |
| Advance directives | Legally recognised, allowing you to state treatment preferences in advance |
| National tele-counselling | Free, in many languages, at any hour |
| District programmes | The main route to public care outside big cities |
| Insurance | Insurers are required to cover mental illness like physical illness |
| Treatment gap | Very large: most people with a diagnosable condition receive no care |
In practice
- The free national tele-counselling line operates in many languages and is a genuine first step.
- Health insurance must cover mental illness: a refusal on that ground can be challenged.
- District mental health programmes provide free medication and consultations.
- An advance directive lets you record now how you wish to be treated in a future crisis.
Cost and coverage
Public district programmes provide free consultations and medication; the tele-counselling line is free.
Recent changes
The 2017 Act is among the most far-reaching mental health statutes in the region, though implementation lags well behind the text.
Where to go
- National tele-mental health helpline, free and multilingual.
- District mental health programme clinics.
- Non-governmental organisations providing free counselling and crisis support.
Worth knowing
Insurers long refused mental health claims outright. That is now unlawful, and complaints to the insurance regulator on this point have repeatedly succeeded.
The general article: Mental health · Compare with another country
Dental care
Very low prices, a huge private sector, and a destination for dental travel rather than a source of it.
Public dental care is provided through district hospitals and dental colleges at nominal cost, and Ayushman Bharat covers some oral surgery in hospital, but routine dentistry sits almost entirely in the private sector. Prices are among the lowest in the world for comparable quality in the large metropolitan clinics.
Dental colleges — of which India has a very large number — treat patients for token fees, with treatment carried out by students under supervision.
The country receives medical travellers for dental work from the Gulf states, Africa and the diaspora, with implant and full-mouth rehabilitation prices a fraction of Western ones.
Quality varies enormously between a metropolitan specialist clinic and a small-town practice; the Dental Council of India register is the basic check.
Oral cancer linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut is a major public health problem, and any non-healing mouth ulcer of more than three weeks warrants examination.
Whitening is widely offered and only loosely regulated.
Key points
| Public | District hospitals and dental colleges at nominal cost |
|---|---|
| Ayushman Bharat | Some hospital oral surgery |
| Private | Dominant for routine care, prices among the world's lowest |
| Dental colleges | Token fees, supervised students |
| Oral cancer | Major burden linked to smokeless tobacco and areca nut |
In practice
- Check the practitioner on the Dental Council of India register and ask for the implant system used in writing.
- Dental colleges are the cheapest reliable route for residents.
- Any mouth ulcer that has not healed in three weeks needs to be looked at, especially with any tobacco or areca nut use.
Cost and coverage
Examination ₹200–₹800. Filling ₹500–₹2,500. Crown ₹4,000–₹15,000. Implant with crown ₹25,000–₹60,000.
Recent changes
Public insurance schemes have gradually extended to some oral surgery, though routine dentistry remains outside them.
Where to go
- Government dental colleges and district hospitals.
- Dental Council of India register.
- Private multispecialty dental clinics in the metropolitan cities.
Worth knowing
For a traveller: get the diagnosis at home, insist on written records and radiographs, and price two trips rather than one — an implant is placed in stages months apart.
Frequently asked questions
Is dental care free in India?
Nominal in public hospitals and dental colleges; routine care is otherwise private and paid directly.
Is India a good destination for dental treatment?
Prices are very low and the best clinics are excellent, but variability is wide and follow-up from abroad is the weak point.
The general article: Dental care · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
Free treatment through a national programme, and a 2017 law that makes discrimination unlawful and testing consent-based.
India runs one of the largest public HIV programmes in the world, providing free antiretroviral treatment through a national network of centres since 2004. The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act 2017 was a turning point: it prohibits discrimination in employment, education, healthcare and housing, requires informed consent for testing, protects confidentiality and provides for an ombudsman in each state.
India provides free antiretroviral treatment through a national programme with centres across the country, and domestic generic production has made the drugs affordable worldwide as well as at home. PrEP has been introduced for key populations rather than made broadly available, and stigma and the difficulty of reaching key populations remain the main obstacles.
Key points
| Treatment | Free through national antiretroviral therapy centres |
|---|---|
| Testing | Free at integrated counselling and testing centres, with consent required by law |
| 2017 Act | Prohibits discrimination, mandates informed consent and confidentiality |
| Ombudsman | Each state must appoint one to hear complaints under the Act |
| Test and treat | Treatment offered on diagnosis regardless of CD4 count |
| PrEP | Introduced for specific groups; availability is uneven |
| Confidentiality | Disclosure without consent is unlawful under the Act |
In practice
- Use an integrated counselling and testing centre: the test is free and confidential by law.
- If you face discrimination in a hospital, workplace or school, the 2017 Act gives you a formal complaint route.
- Ask about multi-month dispensing if you live far from the treatment centre.
- Link-up with a network of people living with HIV for practical support with the system.
Cost and coverage
Testing and antiretroviral treatment are free; transport to the centre is the real cost for many.
Where to go
- National programme antiretroviral therapy centres.
- Integrated counselling and testing centres.
- State AIDS control societies and networks of people living with HIV.
Worth knowing
The 2017 Act makes it unlawful to require an HIV test as a condition of employment or to disclose someone's status without consent. Those provisions are enforceable — the state ombudsman exists for that purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Is HIV treatment free in India?
Yes, through the national programme's antiretroviral therapy centres, including the medication and the monitoring tests. Registration requires identification, and treatment can be transferred between centres if you move. Testing is free at integrated counselling and testing centres.
Hepatitis B
A birth dose in the universal immunisation programme, and an enormous number of undiagnosed carriers.
India introduced hepatitis B into its universal immunisation programme nationwide in 2011, with a birth dose for institutional deliveries followed by the combined vaccine. Prevalence is intermediate, but given the population the absolute number of chronic carriers is among the largest in the world, and the overwhelming majority are undiagnosed.
India introduced hepatitis B into the universal immunisation programme nationwide in 2011, with a birth dose for institutional deliveries. The birth dose is the weak point: a large share of births still occurs without it being given within twenty-four hours, and that is where chronic infection continues to be created. Prevalence in the general population is intermediate.
Key points
| Birth dose | Part of the universal immunisation programme since 2011, for institutional deliveries |
|---|---|
| Home births | A gap: the birth dose is frequently missed |
| Antenatal screening | Part of routine antenatal care in the national programme |
| Prevalence | Intermediate, but very large in absolute numbers |
| Diagnosis | The great majority of carriers are undiagnosed |
| Treatment | Free antiviral treatment through the national viral hepatitis programme |
| Unsafe injections | A documented contributor to transmission |
In practice
- Ask for the birth dose within 24 hours; if delivering at home, take the baby for vaccination immediately.
- Free treatment is available through the national viral hepatitis programme — ask at a district hospital.
- Have household members of a carrier tested and vaccinated.
- Insist on new, single-use syringes for any injection.
Cost and coverage
Vaccination and, through the national viral hepatitis programme, testing and treatment are free.
Where to go
- District hospitals and treatment centres of the national viral hepatitis programme.
- Primary health centres for vaccination and antenatal screening.
- Regional institutes of liver disease.
Worth knowing
The national programme provides free testing and free antiviral treatment. Many people pay privately because they do not know it exists.
Frequently asked questions
Is the birth dose given in India?
It is part of the programme for institutional deliveries, but coverage within the recommended twenty-four hours is incomplete, particularly for home births and in some states. If you are giving birth, ask explicitly for the birth dose — do not assume it will be given automatically.
HPV
Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women, and a domestically produced vaccine has changed what is possible.
India carries one of the world's largest burdens of cervical cancer. Vaccination has not historically been part of the universal immunisation programme, though several states introduced it and a domestically manufactured vaccine, launched in 2023, brought the price down dramatically. Screening in the national programme relies mainly on visual inspection with acetic acid, delivered through health workers.
Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death among Indian women, and HPV vaccination was for years available only privately at significant cost. A domestically produced vaccine has changed the economics, and introduction into the national immunisation programme has been announced and prepared in stages. Screening in most of the country uses visual inspection with acetic acid rather than laboratory tests.
Key points
| Burden | Among the highest numbers of cervical cancer cases and deaths in the world |
|---|---|
| Vaccine | A domestically produced vaccine launched in 2023 at a far lower price |
| Programme | Introduction into the universal immunisation programme has been under consideration; some states act independently |
| Screening | Visual inspection with acetic acid in the national programme |
| Age group | Women aged 30 to 49 targeted for screening |
| Health workers | ASHA workers mobilise women for screening at village level |
| Cost | Screening is free at public facilities |
In practice
- Ask at a public health centre about screening: visual inspection is free and gives an immediate result.
- Check whether your state offers the vaccine through a public programme before paying privately.
- Bleeding after sex or between periods needs to be examined, whatever your age.
- Screening remains necessary even if you have been vaccinated.
Cost and coverage
Screening is free at public facilities; vaccine prices have fallen sharply since domestic production began.
Where to go
- Primary health centres and community health centres.
- ASHA workers and auxiliary nurse midwives.
- Regional cancer centres for treatment of detected lesions.
Worth knowing
Visual inspection gives a result during the visit, which means a lesion can often be treated the same day. That single fact is why the method is used at scale where laboratories are scarce.
Frequently asked questions
Is the HPV vaccine available in India?
Yes, including a domestically produced vaccine that costs far less than imported ones, and introduction into the national immunisation programme has been prepared in stages with some states moving first. Outside the public programme it is available privately at a chemist or clinic on prescription.
General sources
- India.gov.in — national portal of India
- India Code — central and state legislation