Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education 2016 A majority of these participants noted that ever since the Aasandha policy changed, they had been unable to get the necessary medication from the pharmacies in their islands. Additionally, they complained that even when the medicine was available in the private pharmacies, these facilities do not release medicine under Aasandha and that a few clinics and pharmacies also restrict the availability of vital but often used medicines such as medicines used for diabetes and blood pressure. Furthermore, many participants stated that the exact brand of medicine prescribed to them by the doctor would usually not be available in the local pharmacies and that the pharmacists would try to sell them another brands which the participants believed were cheaper versions of the medicines sold at a higher rate. Participant’s responses varied about the kind of information offered to them regarding family planning, contraception and other reproductive and sexual health related information in their islands. Respondents stated that basic information is provided at the health center of Public Health unit upon request and leaflets are also provided on some of the issues. However, participants from some islands claimed that information about contraception and family planning is only given to the married couples and that unmarried couples do not have access to the information even upon request. They noted that such restrictions should not be practiced in the current environment where it is well known that couples do have physical relations before marriage and that refusing these couples access to these measures will lead to unwanted pregnancies and attempts at abortions which may have more serious consequences. Nevertheless, participants also mentioned that the health services can be made much better with a well‐planned health policy, provided that the government was willing to do so. They believed that Aasandha needed to be 74 THEMATIC ANALYSIS