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The couple’s decision
BY RAISA PAGES (Granma
International staff writer)
 HAVING
children at the desired and suitable moment is a
couple’s decision, as well as a right guaranteed
by Cuban legislation and by the health system.
Family planning is considered a fundamental
human right and the state assumes the
responsibility of creating the necessary health
infrastructure and of training specialized
personnel to offer correct information to the
population.
During 1998—the most recent year covered by
Cuban statistics—there were 64,900 legal
marriages and the marriage rate was 5.8 per 1000
inhabitants.
In
the same year, 39,798 divorces were reported,
which is the equivalent of 3.6 legalized
separations per 1000 inhabitants. Thus,
according to the official statistics, there are
more marriages than divorces.
ABORTIONS, HIGHER
RATES THAN DESIRED
Since 1965, abortion has been legal and
available in Cuban health institutions, but its
current use is above desired levels. In the ’80s
abortions rose at an alarming rate, and in the
’90s the tendency decreased due to educational
and sex education programs directed toward young
couples. In 1998, 22.8 abortions were performed
for every 1000 women between the ages of 12 and
49. The numbers indicate that of every 100
pregnancies, 33 ended in abortion, with the
highest incidence among women between the ages
of 20 and 24, who stated that they chose not to
have children for a variety of reasons,
including the desire to continue studying, not
wanting to be single mothers, or poor economic
conditions.
Women still bear the burden of responsibility
for avoiding unwanted pregnancies, even though
there are diverse programs aimed at couples to
educate men about contraceptive methods.
Young people learn about the use of
contraceptives in sex education classes, which
are provided free by the health system.
LOWER REPRODUCTION
RATE
According to the latest Cuban Demographic
Yearbook (1998), for every 1000 women of
child-bearing age, 50 give birth. Viewed from
another statistical angle, what specialists call
the overall reproduction rate is currently at
0.78 daughters per woman, which means that less
females are being born than the number they are
supposed to replace.
The latest report of the birthrate is 13.6 for
every 1000 inhabitant, indicating a decrease in
the number of children born to Cuban women. In
this respect, the island’s indicators mirror
those of developed countries.
http://www.granma.cu/especial_1/ingles/e_006_i.html
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