Prevention of reproductive morbidity and mortality among the female indigenous population of Latin America

Edith Pantelides, Centro de Estudios de Población (CENEP)
Silvia Mario, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INDEC)

The purpose of this paper is to show the reproductive health prevention situation of the indigenous female population vis a vis their non-indigenous peers among the general and rural female population, and among its poorer and less educated segments. The objective is to elicit how much of the indigenous women’s situation is related to their ethnicity. Areas to be explored: a) from the individual point of view, preventive practices in relation to unplanned pregnancies and transmission of HIV and possession of knowledge needed to exercise such prevention, b) from a societal point of view, prevention of maternal and infant mortality (care during pregnancy and delivery). Sources of data: DHS and similar surveys from 2000 onwards for Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru. We expect that the relative position of the indigenous women will vary depending on the country, and the variable measured but generally within the most disadvantaged sectors of society.