Reproductive Behavior Of Women Research Articles

Dialogue of Labor and Motherhood in the Context of Socio-Economic and Territorial Differentiation in the Republic of Tatarstan

Introduction. Women’s activity in the labor market, reluctance to interrupt their careers and face the problem of lowering income from work are the factors that impede the increase in birth rates and affect the reproductive behavior of women. Under the influence of ideological attitudes and material factors, women are faced with the need to assume a huge share of family responsibilities and maintain a balance between work and family. The objective of this study is to analyze women’s satisfaction with and demand for the existing state support in the Republic of Tatarstan targeted at creating conditions for combining household work and paid jobs. Materials and Methods. The study was based on the results of the applied sociological study ‘Labor activity in the structure of reproductive and parental strategies of a modern woman in the Republic of Tatarstan’. The method of comparative analysis of the microdata obtained was used to assess the extent to which of women with children are satisfied with their position in the context of the conflict of family and employment in the situation of the existing family and demographic policies in the opposition of ‘city – village’. Results. The study has confirmed the hypothesis about a significant role of the system of preschool institutions in making it possible for women to achieve a balance between paid work and motherhood, while the degree of success depends on the type of settlement. New approaches to supporting families with children have been proposed. According to the authors, the main components of state policies to ensure the balance of life and work for women with children should include the practice of flexible forms of employment, making it possible to combine participation in the labor market with motherhood, as well as access to quality childcare services. Discussion and Conclusion. The results obtained made it possible to conclude that, regardless of the type of settlement, the financial position of households and the housing conditions, as well as the state of health, to a greater extent prevent women in the Republic of Tatarstan from having the desired number of children. The materials of the article may be useful to the authorities when developing programs to optimize the regional process of regulating employment of women.

The Proximate Determinants of Fertility in Eswatini.

Accelerating downwards the fertility rate remains a priority issue for developmental planning of any country. Fertility transition for most African countries has been slow since attaining their independence. In a period of almost four decades Eswatini experienced high fertility above replacement level fertility of 2.1; total fertility rate has declined from 6 to 4 children per woman from 1968 to 2007. This paper examines the impact of each proximate factor (contraception, postpartum infecundability, abortion and sexual activity) on fertility. Using the cross-sectional data from the 2006-7 Eswatini Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), the revised Bongaarts proximate determinants model of fertility was applied at national level and the analysis was extended to observe educational variation among women aged 15-49. The analysis showed that contraception had the greatest impact of fertility reduction, then sexual activity, postpartum infecundability and induced abortion. Women's educational level had huge negative influence on fertility and positive implication on reproductive choice of using contraception, delaying sexual activity/marriage and childbearing. The results guide on selection of potential social variables amenable to policy aimed at improving women's reproductive behaviour in Eswatini through better educational attainment.

SOCIO-HYGIENIC CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE AND ITS ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF GYNECOLOGIC PATHOLOGY

In the structure of general morbidity in Russia for 2018 year of complications of pregnancy and childbirth took place and 3 tend to grow. Aim - study of socio-sanitary characteristics and reproductive behaviour of women of childbearing age (ZhFV) and determining their impact on women’s health. Materials and methods: data from medical records and questioning women in 2017 year in Moscow. The results. Provided social and hygienic characteristics of observed women, average age of 32 years, two thirds, a quarter of workers are housewives, every tenth-student, 66% are married, 82% regularly visit a physician, each the fifth has gynecological disease, 70% believe contraception necessary, 62% are related to abortion adversely. Conclusion. It is advisable to generate a high level of medical activity in women, as the future of the mind, from school age, to carry out sex education with a focus on healthy lifestyle, paying attention towards abortion and sexual partner the family as a whole.

Reproductive behavior of women from a rural community in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil

The objective of this descriptive and retrospective study was to delineate the reproductive profile of women living in a rural community of Tefé Municipality, Amazonas State, Brazil. The target audience included women (n = 10), aged 18 years and older, living in the Agrovila community, rural area, distant 13.2 km from the center of Tefé. All participants were interviewed, individually, based on a questionnaire designed exclusively for the present study. The results of the descriptive analyzes indicated that the interviewees reached the menarche between 13 and 17 years old, and the first pregnancy occurred during adolescence, between 14 and 16 years old. Half of the women interviewed reported regular use of contraceptive methods regularly. However, the average number of children per woman was 4.6 children. All women reported prenatal care in all pregnancies. However, 50% reported complications during pregnancy; while 20% had one or two miscarriages due to eclampsia. These data point to the need to improve prenatal consultations, raise awareness about the risks of eclampsia for maternal health, as well as the creation of reproductive health programs that recognize the social and cultural conditions of isolated Amazonian communities.

Indexes of natural selection in Kharkiv population

Aim. Reproductive behavior of women has particular importance in the reproduction of the population and depends on cultural characteristics and religious views. Number of birth and medical abortions become artificially regulated; nevertheless selection in human populations does not disappear. Therefore, the aim of this task to study the direction and intensity of indexes of natural selection and the dynamics of the gene pool in the Kharkiv population for two adjacent generations. Methods. The material was collected in 2017. Anonymous questionnaires were conducted for women in postreproductive age. The questionnaire includes questions which reflect a woman's gynecological and obstetrical anamnesis. The number of pregnancies and their outcomes was calculated: medical and spontaneous abortions, ectopic pregnancies, number of stillbirths and live births. Results. In one generation, the total selection index decrease from 0.29 to 0.28, while the differential fertility index is much higher than the differential mortality index. The average number of pregnancies and medical abortions reduced in the younger generation with statistically significant difference. Conclusions. The Kharkov population is characterized by a narrow type of reproduction. The dynamics of Crow's indexes are in line with global trends. From the older generation to the younger the total selection index decreases gradually.Keywords: reproductive characteristics,Kharkov population, Crow's index, selection, generations.

The Intersection Between Women's Reproductive Desires and HIV Care Providers' Reproductive Health Practices: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Background HIV-positive women in the United States can have healthy pregnancies and avoid transmitting HIV to their children. Yet, little is known about the extent to which HIV care providers' reproductive health practices match women's pregnancy desires. Accordingly, we explored young HIV-positive women's pregnancy desires and reproductive health behaviors and examined reproductive health information offered by HIV care clinics. Methods A mixed-method analysis was conducted using data from a 14-site Adolescent Medicine Trials Network (ATN) study. We conducted descriptive statistics on data from 25 HIV-positive women (e.g., demographics, pregnancy desires, and sexual- and health-related behaviors). Qualitative interviews with 58 adolescent and adult clinic providers were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Results About half of the women reported using reproductive health care services (i.e., contraception and pregnancy tests) (n = 12) and wanted a future pregnancy (n = 13). Among women who did not desire a future pregnancy (n = 5), three used dual methods and two used condoms at last sexual encounter. Qualitative themes related to clinics' approaches to reproductive health (e.g., "the emphasis…is to encourage use of contraceptives") and the complexity of merging HIV and reproductive care (e.g., "We [adolescent clinic] transition pregnant moms from our care back and forth to adult care"). Discussion Despite regular HIV-related medical appointments, HIV-positive women may have unaddressed reproductive health needs (e.g., pregnancy desire with providers focused on contraceptive use). Findings from this study suggest that increased support for young HIV-positive women's reproductive health is needed, including supporting pregnancy desires (to choose when, how, and if, to have children).

Determinants of change in fertility pattern among women in Uganda during the period 2006\u20132011

BackgroundStudies on fertility in Uganda have attributed fertility reduction to a shift in the overall characteristics of women of reproductive age. It is not clear whether the reduction in fertility is due to changing socioeconomic and demographic characteristics over time or stems from the shifts in the reproductive behavior of women. In this paper we examine how fertility rates have changed between 2006 and 2011 and whether these changes have resulted from changing characteristics or from changing reproductive behavior of women.MethodsUsing the 2006 and 2011 Demographic and Health Survey data for Uganda, Multivariate Poisson Decomposition techniques were applied to evaluate observed changes in fertility.ResultsChanging characteristics of women aged 15–49 years significantly contributed to the overall change in fertility from 2006 to 2011. The change observed in older age at first marriage was the major contributor to the changes in fertility. The contribution that can be attributed to changes in reproductive behavior was not significant.ConclusionsThis study finds that the major contribution to the reduction in fertility between 2006 and 2011 was from increased education and delayed marriage among women. Continued improvement in secondary school completion, will lead to older age at first marriage and will continue to be an important factor in Uganda’s declining fertility rates.

The Effect of Mass Media on Women's Reproductive Health Behavior in Ethiopia

There is inadequate utilization of reproductive health services in Ethiopia due to partly low awareness and attitudinal factors, which can be addressed through mass media. Based on analysis of the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data, this study investigates the roles of mass media in positively affecting women's reproductive health behaviour. Cox, ordinary least square and logistic regression models were used to analyse the survey data. In addition, qualitative data that were collected from media and health personnel were analysed thematically. Results show that exposure to mass media has significant positive effect only on few reproductive health indicators but not on others. The insignificant role of mass media is attributable to constraints associated with reproductive health communication design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. The potential role of mass media in addressing women's reproductive health problems can be utilized through evidence-based preparation of communication messages tailored to a targeted audience as well as by building the capacities of mass media agencies.

Biopolitical Knowledge in the Making: Population Politics and Fertility Studies in Early Cold War Taiwan

Like many developing countries in the 1950s and 1960s, Taiwan experienced a social process of constructing and controlling population that relied on demography and fertility studies as essential governing tools. This article investigates population politics and biopolitical knowledge production in postwar Taiwan through synthesizing three bodies of literature that have just begun to comment on one another: histories of postwar population control, analyses of the technoscientific turn in Cold War history, and forensics into the production of social-scientific knowledge via science-study approaches. Along with the complexities of Asian biopolitics, three main social elements affecting the production of biopolitical knowledge at the time are discussed: (a) the historical backstage on which the Cold War and the civil war met, (b) the acting group of Taiwanese and US agencies and individuals who took part in the process, and (c) the three types of fertility studies and the data from them that ultimately expanded the focus of the process of population control from the population in general to the reproductive behavior of women. The complexities of Asia biopolitics are also discussed.

‘Repeat abortion’, a phrase to be avoided? Qualitative insights into labelling and stigma

BackgroundIn recent years there has been growing international interest in identifying risk factors associated with ‘repeat abortion’, and developing public health initiatives that might reduce the rate. This article draws...

Gender-Based Violence in Rural Uttar Pradesh, India: Prevalence and Association With Reproductive Health Behaviors.

This study explores the prevalence of different forms of domestic violence and their impact on women's reproductive health behavior in rural Uttar Pradesh (UP), India. Data were collected as a part of a large household survey carried out in 2009-2010. A multistage stratified systematic sampling design was used. A total of 4,223 married women aged 15 to 49 years and 2,274 husbands of these women were interviewed. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate analyses. More than one third of married women in rural UP had experienced one or more forms of violence, such as verbal abuse, physical manhandling, and sexual abuse by their spouse. Nearly 47% of the women had experienced some form of violence during their last pregnancy. Significant associations were found between violence and incorrect reproductive health behaviors, pregnancy complications, poor birth preparedness, poor likelihood of institutional delivery, limited postnatal care, and limited spousal communication for family planning. After controlling for socio-economic variables in multivariate analysis, only pregnancy complications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.40, 1.85]) and lack of delivery preparedness (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = [0.68, 0.93]) were found to be significantly associated with violence. Husband's attitude and reporting of violence by their wives in different situations were not significantly associated. This study provides evidence of the association of violence on the reproductive health behavior of married women in rural India. The results argue for frontline health workers to identify and counsel pregnant women experiencing violence during antenatal check-up to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality.

Reproductive decisions in the lives of West Bank Palestinian women: Dimensions and contradictions

ABSTRACTPalestinian women have one of the highest fertility rates in the world, averaging 4.38 births per woman. However, Palestinian fertility patterns are distinct from those of other developing nations, in that high fertility rates coexist alongside high levels of education and low levels of infant mortality – both of which have been established elsewhere as predictors of low total fertility rates. This study explores the dimensions and context of the contradictions between fertility predictors and rates, isolating main factors that shape Palestinian reproductive behaviour. Furthermore, while this study addresses factors that influence the high fertility in the Palestinian Territories, it also addresses factors that contribute to the steady decline of this trend. In-depth interviews were conducted with Palestinian women in urban refugee communities and key informant interviews with experts on Palestinian reproductive health. The findings indicate that five factors shape women's reproductive behaviour: (1) the fear of losing one's children in the ongoing conflict; (2) socio-economic factors including poverty and density of space; (3) the marital relationship; (4) religious values; and (5) generational differences. These results highlight the influence of socio-political conditions on reproductive behaviour and the significance of women's agency in manoeuvring their fertility outcomes.

Конфаундинг-факторы первичных венозных тромбозов и эмболий, ассоциированных с репродуктивным поведением женщин

Objective. To identify the major confounding factors of primary venous thromboses and embolisms associated with reproductive behavior of women. Subjects and methods. Retrospective analysis of risk factors for venous thromboembolic events (VTEEs) was made in 53 reproductive-aged (18-45-year-old) women with no history of severe somatic diseases and thromboses. Results. In 67.9% of the patients, the major triggers of primary VTEEs were the use of combined oral contraceptive (COC) pills (43.4%) and pregnancy/postpartum (24.5%). The most common cofactors were lower extremity varices (79.2%), over 35 years of age (62.4%), a sedentary lifestyle (60.4%), smoking (33.9%), obesity (33.9%), and positive family history of thromboses/genetically verified thrombophilia (20.8%). The mean number of background risk factors was 3.4±0.1 in COC users, 3.7±0.2 in pregnant women, and 5.0±0.1 in puerperas. Conclusion. When prescribing COC pills, planning, and managing pregnancy/postpartum, it is necessary to keep in mind that the risk of VTEEs is increased, to thoroughly assess the already existing risk factors, and to take every measure for their prevention.

Individual and provincial characteristics associated with reproductive behavior of married women in Iran (2011)

Background: Fertility in the current situation is the most important determinant of a country's population increase rate. Iran's fertility rate has declined since the mid 1981’s, and has reached a relative stability below the replacement level in recent years. However, the fertility levels are different among provinces in the country. Methods: The present study investigated the reproductive behavior of women at both individual and provincial levels, so the two-level model was used. Data were adapted from the census in 2011 and Demographic and Health Surveys in 2010. The statistical population of the study was the 15-49 year-old married women in Iran and the study sample included 299,539 woman of the statistical population. Results: The results showed significant differences among the provinces in terms of the variance of the number of children born alive. Residence, employment status and educational status had significant effects on the number of children born. Moreover, the two-level variables (The mean age of women in the first marriage, contraception prevalence and development level by province) had a significant effect on the slope of education and employment status. Conclusion: A convergence of fertility behavior has been initiated in the Iranian women, and the difference between some provinces is influenced by the development level of the given provinces. Other variables (such as education and employment status) that affect women’s reproductive behavior are influenced by the development level of the province.

'Country women are resilient but. …': Family planning access in rural Victoria.

This study examined barriers to accessing three types of family planning service (emergency contraception, termination of pregnancy and options counselling) within the Grampians region of Victoria. In addressing the challenges faced by geographically marginalised women, the intention was to contribute to feminist psychological research in the field of women's health. The qualitative study drew on community and health psychology frameworks. Community psychology's ecological perspective takes into account the different contexts of people's lives, while the focus on psychosocial aspects of women's reproductive health behaviour places the study in a health psychology domain. Grampians region of Victoria, Australia. Eleven professionals whose employment was connected to family planning services in Victoria. Semi-structured interviews. The study documented professionals' perceptions of facilitators and barriers to accessing family planning services in rural areas and the implications for women's psychosocial health and their ability to make timely decisions about a pregnancy. A thematic analysis confirmed that women in the Grampians region face many barriers including lack of local services, privacy, misinformation and judgmental service providers. While these issues could arise anywhere, the problem is compounded in rural areas by limited options and rural cultural pressures. This study highlights the complexity of many rural women's reproductive 'choices', and recommends plausible strategies to tackle barriers and facilitate access to family planning services. Reproductive health research can benefit from community and health psychology perspectives that consider psychosocial and cultural contexts as well as biomedical factors.

The use of biomarkers of semen exposure in sexual and reproductive health studies.

Biomarkers of semen exposure have been used in studies investigating the safety and efficacy of barrier methods of contraception. They have been used as objective indicators of semen exposure when studying sexual behaviors and in human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted infection research interventions where participants are advised to avoid unprotected sex. Semen biomarkers have also been used to assess or validate self-reported sexual behaviors or condom use in reproductive health settings. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and Y chromosome DNA (Yc-DNA) have each been evaluated in the past as semen biomarkers and are the most widely used in the field. While both are considered reliable for evaluating exposure to semen, each has unique characteristics. In this report, we summarize the literature and provide some considerations for reproductive health researchers who are interested in using PSA or Yc-DNA as semen biomarkers. We also synthesize our previous published work on the optimal conditions of collecting and storing specimens and assay performance in the presence of other vaginal products that may influence various assays. Semen biomarkers are innovative and promising tools to further study and better understand women's reproductive and sexual health and behavior. More research is needed to better understand the strengths, limitations, and optimal performance conditions of specific assays in vivo.

Age at First Marriage and its Impact on Reproductive Behaviour of Women in Uttar Pradesh, India

The present study explores the impact of socio-economic and demographic variables on age at first marriage and its association to reproductive behavior of women. Using the multinomial regression approach, it is observed that place of residence, religion, wealth index, education, and occupation are significant, important and decisive variable for the age at first marriage. Along with, it is also found that the overall fertility declined sharply as age at first marriage rises. Using the method of linear regression, the study shows if the age at first marriage of adolescents is increased by 1 year then the age at first birth is postponed by 0.780 years and the total parity per women at the end of the reproductive period is expected to reduce by 0.288 for each 1-year delayed marriage. With the increase in age at first marriage, the fecundability of women sharply rises, whereas the proportion of temporary sterility decreases.

Changes in Fertility Decline in Rwanda: A Decomposition Analysis

After having stalled in the 1990s, fertility in Rwanda resumed its downward trajectory between 2005 and 2010. The total fertility rate declined from 6.1 to 4.6 and modern contraceptive use increased. However, it is unclear which determinants lay behind the previous stall and the recent strong drop in fertility. This paper contributes to an ongoing debate on the impact of social upheavals on fertility decline. We use a decomposition analysis, focusing on the change in characteristics and reproductive behaviour of women and their contributions to levels of fertility during 1992–2000 and 2000–2010. Results show that due to widowhood and separation the proportion of women who were married decreased between 1992 and 2000, but their fertility increased in the same period due to replacement fertility and an unmet need for family planning. After 2000, postponement of marriage and lower infant mortality contributed to lower fertility, but the most important effect is the overall lower fertility due not only to improved family planning provision but perhaps also to the sensitizing campaigns of the Rwandan government.

Cohabitation in Botswana: An Alternative or a Prelude

Given the recent increase in the prevalence of cohabiting unions in Botswana, this paper speculates on the role this type of union plays in contemporary Botswana family system. The analysis is based on the combination of qualitative and quantitative data from the 2001 Cohabitation Survey and the 1996 Botswana Family Health Survey respectively. The overall results reveal that cohabitation differs from marriage in terms of socio-legal status and the reproductive behaviour of women in cohabiting unions. The paper further presents evidence that, of the three common interpretations of cohabitation - an alternative to marriage, a temporary phase before marriage and an alternative to being single - cohabitation in Botswana can be viewed as a temporary phase before marriage. Against this evidence, the paper concludes that while the increasing prevalence of cohabitation does not threaten the institution of marriage in Botswana, it results in delays in timing of marriage.

Do Women Working in the Public Sector Have it Easier to Become Mothers in Spain?

Previous studies claim that there are differences in fertility rates among working women that probably indicate varying career-arrangements due to differences in women's opportunity costs of a career break at childbirth by employment sector. Drawing on the Spanish Survey on Fertility and Values (2006), this study analyzes whether and to what extent public employment affects women's reproductive behavior (transition to first birth) in the Spanish context. Findings show that employed women experience higher opportunity costs of entering into motherhood but working women in environments which offer more long-term stability and favor the combination of work and family responsibilities, like public sector jobs, become mothers earlier than self-employed and private sector employees.