title: Reproductive pattern of Cuban women living in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución, Havana, Cuba.
abstract: This paper assesses the reproductive and abortion patterns of women living in Plaza de la Revolución, a municipality of Havana, Cuba, by studying the factors influencing birth and abortion rates. Socio-demographic data and female reproductive histories were collected in a survey of 1200 post-menopausal women living in the municipality. Average ages at menarche and at menopause were 12.71 and 48.39 years, respectively, thus yielding a potential long reproductive period of 35.68 years, indicating high fertility. Although the mean pregnancy rate was 3.81 pregnancies per woman, the live birth rate at time of delivery was only 1.89 due to the high rate of abortions: 40% of all pregnancies were voluntarily interrupted. Among the biological and socio-cultural variables that were found to influence the rate of live births were those related marriage pattern, especially age at first union. Demographic variables such as pregnancy order, maternal age and marital status were the main determinants of the abortion pattern, with abortion being used as a method of birth control in order to obtain the desired family size, and most women (75.2%) using contraceptives.
authors.affiliation: *Grupo de Antropología, Facultad de Biología,Universidad de La Habana,Havana,Cuba.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Zoología y Antropología física,Universidad Complutense de Madrid,Madrid,Spain.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.affiliation: *Grupo de Antropología, Facultad de Biología,Universidad de La Habana,Havana,Cuba.
authors.forename: Marlen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.affiliation: ‡Departamento de Zoología y Antropología física,Universidad Complutense de Madrid,Madrid,Spain.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: ‡Departamento de Zoología y Antropología física,Universidad Complutense de Madrid,Madrid,Spain.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Luna
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001723:Birth Rate; D003267:Contraception; D003462:Cuba; D003710:Demography; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008423:Maternal Age; D008572:Menarche; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012098:Reproduction; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017584:Reproductive History; D055815:Young Adult