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Studies of Family Planning in the Quinta Normal District of Santiago: The Use of Contraceptives

1965; Volume: 43; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/3348917

2325-6974

Mariano Requena B., C Tietze, Frederick Osborn, Rolando Armijo,

Ethics and bioethics in healthcare

In September 1962, with the co-operation of the Harvard School of Public Health, a study of family planning was undertaken in the district of Quinta Normal, Santiago de Chile. The long-term objective was the measurement of the effect of a control program on the incidence of induced abortion and on the birth rate. In Chile, the problem is extremely important because of the relatively high incidence of induced abortion, the gravity of its complications, and the high financial demands made on institutions responsible for public health. The work was planned in two parts. In the first-a pilot study-an attempt was made to gather all information indispensable to integral planning, until then unavailable. By means of questionnaires and interviews, information was collected on the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of induced abortion, attitudes toward and opinions about family planning, birth control, and the use of contraceptives. The second part, the study itself, was started on May 1, 1964. It was an attempt to apply the information obtained during the pilot study to a threeor four-year program of abortion control. Emphasis was placed on measuring the effects of this program on the incidence of induced abortion and on the birth rate. The program is being applied throughout the West Health Area of Santiago with a population of 450,000, of which 120,000 are women in their childbearing years. This paper reports on the results obtained by that part of the pilot