8003: Re: 7996: Re: 7994: Re: 7987: Social Services (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: haiti@ixks.com

  
>more times... The women desired planning but couldn't seem to remember their 
>pill... They believed every rash and bout of diarrhea was the fault of the 
>family planning...many women did not want "planning"   


Which brings up a touchy subject:  Many Haitian women don't want planning
because their biggest hope of getting a good man to marry them or stay
committed is to get pregnant "for him."  I've heard mothers counsel their
daughters along these lines and also heard several conversations between
Haitian women who are encouraging a friend who wants to catch a man to get
pregnant asap.  In my oppionion this is the biggest road block in the ideas
about "planning."  Most people don't want it because they want to either get
pregnant or get someone pregnant because that is 'the thing to do.'  The men
generally swell up with pride for every child they make (often by several
different women) and the women never seem to lose hope that this plan will
work, even after several unsuccessful attempts.

One aspect of Haitian culture that saddens me...