23-8
LOCAL CUSTOMS: In many parts of the world, villagers use ‘home remedies’ to
prevent or interrupt pregnancy. Some of these work fairly well and are relatively
safe (see the Sponge Method on page 294 of WTND). Others do not work well,
or are dangerous. (In Mexico, some women have tried to prevent pregnancy by
inserting bones into their vaginas!) The existence of these methods is a sign of
women’s desire for birth control.
Newer methods have also appeared in some areas. Women can now take several
birth control pills or injections at once, in order to ‘bring on their menstrual period’
and interrupt an unwanted pregnancy (see Emergency Family Planning on pages
523-534 of WWHND). During health worker training, discuss methods of birth
control that are available locally with students, midwives, and healers. It is important
that health workers be familiar with them and be able to give sensible advice.
Sometimes local customs serve as a form of birth control,
although many people may not realize it. In parts of Africa
women traditionally did not sleep with their husbands while
breast feeding—often for 2 years or longer. In Mexico, Indian
men did not sleep with their wives during certain phases of the
moon. Today many of these old traditions are breaking down.
However, if health workers can help people understand the
history of family planning in their own culture, this will help them
look at modern methods of family planning with more insight. (See the discussion
on family planning traditions in Liberia, page 7-3.)
BELIEFS ABOUT FOOD AND DIET:
In some areas, there are food customs or
beliefs that affect the way people use—
or misuse—modern contraceptives.
For example, in parts of Latin
America, people believe that they
should not take any medicine on days
when they eat pork. So a woman may
stop taking birth control pills for a few
days whenever a pig is killed and she
eats the meat.
In such places, the health worker can
help to prevent unwanted pregnancies
by giving careful advice. Each time she
explains the use of birth control pills to
a woman, she can say, “You need to
take one pill each day, even when you
eat pork. It does you no harm to take it
on days you eat pork. And if you stop
taking it, you may become pregnant.”
In other places, people may havedifferent customs or beliefs that create
problems or misunderstandings. Health workers need to take these into account
when discussing family planning with people in their communities.