SOC 140 Fertility and Nuptiality

• Fertility


  The number of children born to a woman
• Fecundity


  The physical ability to reproduce
• Fecund


  A person who can produce children
• Infecund


  A sterile person who cannot reproduce
• Impaired fecundity


  Also known as subfecundity, measured by a woman's response to survey questions about her fecundity status
• A woman is classified as having impaired fecundity if:

  1. She believes it is impossible for her to have a baby

  2. A physician has told her not to become pregnant because the pregnancy would pose a health risk for her or her baby

  3. She has been continuously married for at least 36 months, has not used contraception, and yet has not gotten pregnant
• Biological component of fertility

  • Age plays a part in fertility
  • Rose Frisch first associated nutrition as a big factor and explained that, in order to maintain regular occurrence of menstruation and ovulation, a certain amount of fat must be stored ("if a woman's level of nutrition is too low to permit fat accumulation, she may experience amenorrhea (a temporary absence or suppression of menstruation) and/or anovulatory cycles, in which no egg is released")
• Social component of fertility

  • For hunter-gatherer societies, their constant search for sustenance which made them constantly on the move may have hindered opportunity for childbearing
  • For agricultural societies, with the existence of better food choices and improved diet, women may have had higher chances of getting pregnant
  • For rich-modern societies, while availability of food is way better and there are existing health care systems, women are also active players in the economy and typically delay pregnancy up until their 30s which could explain why there is a decline in fertility, specially in the more highly urbanized areas
• Preconditions for a substantial fertility decline

  1. Acceptance of calculated choice as a valid element in marital fertility

  2. Perception of advantages from reduced fertility

  3. Knowledge and mastery of effective techniques of control
• Readiness


  The notion that the new forms of behavior must be advantageous to the actor; their utility must be evident and outweigh their disutility
• Willingness


  The notion that the new pattern of action must be legitimate and normatively (e.g., ethically, religiously) acceptable
• Ability


  The adoption of new forms of behavior may depend on the availability of new techniques and their accessibility, which may have a cost that reduces ability
• Modern contraceptives, in its different forms and varying levels of effectivity, have proven to control fertility
• Other far-reaching benefits of contraceptives (WHO, 2020)

  • Prevents pregnancy-related health risks for women, especially for adolescent girls
  • When births are separated by less than two years, the infant mortality rate is 45% higher than it is when births are 2-3 years and 60% higher than it is when births are four or more years apart
  • Offers a range of potential non-health benefits that encompass expanded education opportunities and empowerment for women, and sustainable population growth and economic development for countries
• In the Philippines, 9% of teenage women age 15-19 have begun childbearing; 7% have had a live birth, and 2% are pregnant with their first child
• Two percent of teenage women had sexual intercourse before age 15
• Among women age 15-24, 1 in 4 (25%) have begun childbearing; 22% have had a live birth and 2% are currently pregnant with their first child
• Postpartum amenorrhea


  The period of time after the birth of a child and before the resumption of menstruation
• Postpartum abstinence


  The period of time after the birth of a child and before the resumption of sexual intercourse
• Postpartum insusceptibility


  The period of time during which a woman is considered not at risk of pregnancy because she is postpartum amenorrheic and/or abstaining from sexual intercourse postpartum
• • Ansley Coale (1973)postulated the preconditions for a substantial

  fertility decline.

  • Coale’s concept is also known for its shorthand version as ready, willing, and able (RWA).
• Willing refers to the desire or motivation to use contraception.
• Ready refers to the availability of contraception.
• Able refers to the ability to obtain and use contraception effectively.
• Contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR): The percentage of married women using any form of contraception.
• Abortion rates vary widely by country and region, ranging from less than 1 per 1,000 live births in some African countries to more than 60 per 1,000 live births in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
• Increased access to family planning services has led to declining abortion rates in many countries.
• Abortion rates are highest among women with low education levels and those who have had more children.
• Total fertility rate (TFR): The average number of children born per woman over her lifetime.

  
  

  The total fertility rate (TFR) is 2.7 children per woman.
• Female sterilization: A permanent method of birth control that involves surgically blocking the fallopian tubes so that eggs cannot travel down them into the uterus.
• Male condom: A thin latex or polyurethane sheath worn on an erect penis to prevent sperm from entering the vagina.
• The most common methods used are condoms, oral contraceptives, intrauterine devices (IUD), sterilization, and emergency contraception.
• Sterilization: Permanent surgical procedures such as vasectomy (males) and tubal ligation (females) that prevent pregnancy.
• Intrauterine device (IUD): A small plastic T-shaped object inserted into the uterus that prevents fertilization by preventing sperm from reaching an egg.
• The most common reasons cited for having an abortion include economic hardship, lack of support from partners or families, and health concerns about continuing the pregnancy.
• Hormonal methods alter hormone levels to inhibit ovulation.