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Postpartum sterilisation and demographic progress at Paarl Hospital
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Stellenbosch, Parowvallei, CP.
The success of the postpartum sterilisation campaign at Paarl Hospital, CP, irrefutably supports the claim that a quality family planning programme can in itself reduce fertility. In 1971 only 10% of women undergoing sterilisation had 4 or fewer children--this incidence increased to 71% in 1986. Women with more than 10 children are now very rarely found--in 1970 they still accounted for 20% of all patients sterilised. Parity at time of sterilisation has levelled to about 4 in contrast with 7.52 in 1971. It is probable that as many as 15,000 unwanted and unplanned pregnancies have been prevented in Paarl as a result of this sustained effort. The ideal of the 2-child family is increasingly possible.
The success of the postpartum sterilisation campaign at Paarl Hospital, CP, irrefutably supports the claim that a quality family planning programme can in itself reduce fertility. In 1971 only 10% of women undergoing sterilisation had 4 or fewer children--this incidence increased to 71% in 1986. Women with more than 10 children are now very rarely found--in 1970 they still accounted for 20% of all patients sterilised. Parity at time of sterilisation has levelled to about 4 in contrast with 7.52 in 1971. It is probable that as many as 15,000 unwanted and unplanned pregnancies have been prevented in Paarl as a result of this sustained effort. The ideal of the 2-child family is increasingly possible.