Epress.am News from Armenia
Though more women in Armenia today than 10 years ago use modern contraception, many still resort to abortion as a form of contraception. Also prevalent is the use of sex-selective abortion, which, according to UNFPA, results in 1,400 potential girls not being born in Armenia each year. These findings were presented by Fulbright scholar, public health specialist Ani Jilozian today at the Women's Resource Center in a talk titled "Hearing Women's Voices: Perspectives on Contraception & Abortion in Armenia" [AM].
In her recent qualitative research study, Jilozian interviewed 30 female participants and 10 medical personnel in 7 villages in Armavir marz (province). In her research, Jilozian found that myths about contraception are quite widespread, especially in the villages. "I only know that way to protect myself," said one of the participants, referring to withdrawal as a method of contraception. Another myth cited by one participant was the belief that after taking the pill for 3 years, a woman can become infertile.
Jilozian also presented commonly cited obstacles to using contraception. These included its expensive price and that "it's shameful" to buy condoms, in particular. One woman said that her husband is so often away that she doesn't need to think about contraception.
On the topic of abortions, Jilozian said that 3 out of 10 pregnancies in Armenia end in abortion. Jilozian found that women in Armenia resort to taking Misoprostol (Cytotec) to induce abortion: not only is it 10 times cheaper than undergoing a surgical procedure, it is also less shameful and women can keep the abortion a secret, even from members of their household. In some cases, people don't even consider Cytotec as a form of abortion.
There were also some misconceptions concerning sex selection. In Armenia, there is a preference for male children, which has led to a ratio of 114 boys for every 100 girls born. According to a recent UNFPA study, prenatal sex-selection has been a problem in Armenia for 20 years. The belief that boys are needed to continue the family lineage and national heritage was one of the main reasons cited by the research participants. Boys were seen as necessary to help their fathers, particularly in the manual labor that is part of village life. However, it seemed that having one son wasn't enough. One participant said that her husband is an only child and he "has a complex" so boys should have a brother in order to become good men. Apparently, having a sister didn't count.
Jilozian concluded her presentation with some policy advice. She first emphasized increased education and raising awareness on both contraception and abortion. She also suggested making contraception more attainable, so that women could go buy their own contraception and offering a "prescription-only policy" regarding drugs that induce abortion (such as Cytotec). Other advice included offering financial incentives to families that have 2 or more female children, raising employment opportunities for women, and facilitating programs that empower women.
Jilozian's report will be available in both Armenian and English in two weeks' time.
Updated March 26 at 9:56 am (AMT): The statistic that 1,400 potential girls are not born each year was initially erroneously attributed to Jilozian's findings, whereas it was obtained from a UNFPA Armenia report. We apologize for the misunderstanding.