Guttmacher Institute news release: Indigenous Women in Bolivia Do Not Desire Larger Families Than Non-Indigenous Women:
A new studyof couples in Bolivia finds that indigenous and nonindigenous womenhave nearly the same rate of wanted births, a finding that dispels themyth that indigenous women have higher birthrates simply because theydesire larger families than nonindigenous women. The study finds thatthe difference in the total birthrates of indigenous and nonindigenouswomen is due almost entirely to a higher rate of unwanted births amongindigenous women. This disparity is likely driven by indigenous women’spoor access to contraceptive services and higher rate of unmet need forcontraception, concludes the author, Catherine McNamee of theUniversity of Texas at Austin. . . .