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AVS News
|December 1, 1975
Summary
Official data reveals that 35% of Puerto Rican women of reproductive age underwent sterilization by 1968, primarily for family planning. Contrary to claims, sterilization was more accessible to upper-class women, prompting a program to offer it freely across all socioeconomic levels.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Demography
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Sterilization rates among Puerto Rican women reached 35% by 1968.
- This statistic was often misinterpreted to suggest a genocidal plot.
- Family planning through sterilization began in 1943.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide official information on sterilization rates in Puerto Rico.
- To analyze the socioeconomic composition of sterilized women.
- To address inequities in access to family planning services.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a 1974 study on the socioeconomic composition of sterilized women.
- Review of government family planning program data.
- Examination of public opinion surveys on family planning services.
Main Results:
- In 1974, nearly 66% of sterilized women belonged to upper or upper-middle classes.
- This finding refuted the notion that only impoverished individuals were sterilized.
- Lower-income women lacked access to sterilization services despite desiring them.
Conclusions:
- The Puerto Rican Family Planning Program is voluntary and non-coercive.
- Sterilization services were made free to correct socioeconomic disparities in access.
- An overwhelming 83% of the population supported free, program-offered sterilization in 1974.
Keywords:
AmericasCaribbeanDelivery Of Health CareDeveloped CountriesDeveloping CountriesFamily PlanningFamily Planning ProgramsFemale SterilizationHealthHealth ServicesLatin AmericaMacroeconomic FactorsMedicineNorth AmericaNorthern AmericaPuerto RicoSocioeconomic FactorsSocioeconomic StatusSterilization, Sexual