| Popis: |
The reproductive and contraceptive experience of 491 Black women in urban and rural areas (Cape Town and Ciskei) is presented. The 'average woman' in the sample was 31 years old and first became pregnant by the age of 19,8 years; she had had 3,5 pregnancies, 2,9 living children and wished for 3,9 children. Family size was related to the level of education, degree of urbanization and age of the mother. A sizeable minority of the women experienced at least 1 miscarriage or the death of at least 1 child. Most of the women (65,5%) used some method of contraception between pregnancies, and 57% were using contraception when interviewed. All but 20,7% of those using contraception were receiving an injectable progestogen (Depo-Provera). In urban areas a significant minority used oral contraceptives or sterilization for contraception. Very few women used an intra-uterine contraceptive device. The results of our survey suggest that it is more difficult for the poor to maintain their desired family size. There is a need for family-planning services to be accessible to all, and especially to teenagers. The strongest motivation for a decrease in family size probably results from the settled family life and job opportunities which characterize urban life. |
