Poverty and procreation among women: An anthropologic study with implications for health care providers

Abstract

In this article, select findings from a 5-year ethnographic study of homeless, pregnant women in Southern California pinpointed the contextual constraints, along with individual factors, that framed the women’s reproductive options and actions. The women had very little choice in the timing, the place, the partner, and the circumstances surrounding conception. Factors contributing to their becoming pregnant were the woman’s victimization, economic survival, lack of access to contraceptives, uncertain fertility, desire for intimacy, and hope for the future. Findings suggest that even if the women were able to establish reproductive goals and had the wherewithal to acquire and effectively use contraceptives, situational constraints (homelessness, pregnancy, poverty, contraception, fertility patterns) might still prevent their success.