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Date:         Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:28:12 PST
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From:         Northcoast Environmental Center <nec@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      IPS: Jamaican Women Seek Sterilization

/* Written 12:16 am  Dec  5, 1992 by newsdesk@igc.apc.org in igc:ips.englibrary
*/
/* ---------- "POPULATION: MORE JAMAICAN WOMEN OPT" ---------- */
Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Population; Caribbean
Title: POPULATION: MORE JAMAICAN WOMEN OPTING FOR STERILISATION


an inter press service feature

by celia muschett

kingston, dec 2 (ips) -- more jamaican women are swallowing the
pill each day, than are opting for other methods of birth
control. but tubal ligation or female sterilisation, despite its
finality, is rapidly gaining popularity here.

better known here as ''tying off'', tubal ligation which birth
control experts regard as the most effective contraceptive, is
now the second most popular method, after the pill, wmong
jamaican women.

''women will choose something that is least of a headache to
them. the pill is not much of a headache, but then one has to
always remember to take it,'' says joy crawford, public relations
officer at the state-run national family planning board (nfpb).

the board has for a long time wanted to get contraceptive
users on more long term methods.

tubal ligation involves the actual tying off of a section of
the fallopian tubes, preventing the male sperm from meeting the
female egg, without which, natural conception cannot take place.
the finality of the operation had rendered it the least
attractive option.

but statistics from the family planning board's latest
contraceptive prevalence survey (cps) show times are changing.

some 20 percent of contraceptives users are on the hormonal
pill, but female sterilisation is running a close second, with 15
percent of users opting for this permanent form of family
planning.

condoms rank third with nine percent, injectibles (mainly
depo-provera) eight percent and iud/vaginals two percent of those
using contraceptives. overall, about 55 to 56 percent of
sexually active women utilise contraceptives.

''we are encouraging tubal ligation for women age 26 and over
who already have three children or more,'' said dr. lloyd
goldson, senior registrar at the island's leading maternal
hospital, the victoria jubilee.

some 4,170 women had the operation in 1990 at both public and
private hospitals, compared with 3,423 operations the previous
year. figures for 1991 are not yet available, but indications
are that they would be higher. (more/ips)

population: more jamaican women opting for sterilisation (2)

between 80 and 100 tubal ligation operations are performed
each month at the 100 year-old victoria jubilee hospital, which
delivers some 12,400 babies yearly in its refurbished maternity
wards.

doctors at the hospital explain that the operation is often
done after delivery and before the woman is sent home. it is
usually over in 10 minutes.

but because the women are not likely to have any more children
once it has been done, they are counselled first.

statistics put the number of women who might get pregnant
after sterilisation at only 1 in 1,000.

for this reason, women contemplating tubal ligation are
encouraged to talk with their male partners first. ''we also
allow men to be present at the counselling sessions,'' adds dr.
olivia mcdonald of the nfpb.

twenty-six year old doreen buchanan of kingston had herself
sterilised a few days after having her sixth child. ''i decided
that i did not want anymore. times are hard,'' she said from her
hospital bed.

thirty-nine year old icilda boothe, also a mother of six,
expressed similar views. ''i cannot afford anymore children,''
she said.

not all women are as decisive about sterilisation. ''we find
women come in to the hospital who have 10 or 11 children, yet
refuse the method, claiming that their mothers had more children,
'' said family planning counsellor, veronica masters.

''women who are solely dependent on men are also unwilling to
go for permanent methods of family planning,'' she added. ''their
new partner might want a child.''

but while more and more women are turning to tubal ligation,
their male partners have remained as sceptical as ever about
vasectomy, the male version of sterilcsation. figures indicating
its prevalence among men are hard to come by.

''men are still not accepting this form of family planning,
'' said marge roper, a family planning counsellor. ''they have a
popular misconception. they think that sterilisation will affect
their virility. they think they won't enjoy s
(story received incomplete)
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