Contraception in ethnic minority groups in Bedford
Beard, P.
Health Visitor 55(8): 417-421
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0017-9140 PMID: 6922111 Document Number: 188124
As an aid to health visitors who must provide advice on family planning, this article discusses the cultural and religious backgrounds of Italians, West Indians, Bengalis, and Punjabis as they affect family size and family planning, and describes a survey of the contraceptive practices of 100 mothers from these groups in Bedford. Family planning advice is provided to all mothers by doctors and health visitors, and services are available at family planning clinics or through general practitioners. Most of the Italians in Bedford originated in southern Italy. Traditional family life and strict morality remain strong, and Roman Catholic attitudes toward childbearing and birth control are influential. There are trends toward greater fertility decision making by couples, however. West Indians are characterized by a high illegitimacy rate, unstable unions, and early sexual experience, but their birthrate has fallen since their initial immigration to Britain. Among Bengalis, childbearing is the only means of prestige for women and sons are regarded as a source of security. Contraceptives are approved by the Islam religion but are seen as a threat to the traditional power structure of the male-dominated family. Punjabis, at one time a peasant group, are tending to become craftsmen with better education and the nuclear family is more common. Hinduism stresses early marriage and having many sons, but among Sikhs women may work outside the home and exercise great influence in family affairs. 10 West Indian, 9 Bengali, 44 Italian, and 37 Punjabi women having babies since June 1979 were selected from the birth record books of 3 health visitors in Bedford. There was no control group, and a true comparison was not possible. Average age and parity were 24 and 1.7 for West Indians, 27 and 4.4 for Bengalis, 26 and 1.8 for Italians, and 26 and 2.3 for Punjabis. 4 of 10 West Indians were unmarried, but there were no unmarried Asian mothers and only 1 Italian. Most women went to general practitioners rather than Area Health Authority family planning clinics. Oral contraceptives were the most popular method in all groups. No Muslims used sterilization as a contraceptive method but several Sikhs did so. The Bengalis, who had the highest number of pregnancies, also had the highest percentage of unemployed husbands, were 1 of the newest immigrant groups in Bedford, and had the worst housing conditions and most language problems.