Influence of Mapuche Culture on Family Planning Practices in the Community of Makewe

This investigation took place in Makewe, a rural, predominantly Mapuche community in the IX region of Chile. The Mapuche have a higher birthrate of children than non-indigenous groups in Chile, especially the Mapuche living in rural settings. The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which the Mapuche culture influences family planning. The investigator focused on where the women of Makewe receive education about family planning, their use of contraceptives, and the difference between current children and desired number of children. Thirty women with children were given surveys about their personal family planning in the waiting room of Makewe Hospital and nine in-depth interviews were conducted: seven with women of the community and two with family planning specialists (one occidental and one traditional Mapuche). The results of the study indicated a noticeable difference between family planning practices in the younger and older generations of women. The younger women had received sexual health in school, had fewer children and were more likely to be using contraceptive methods. Nearly all of the older participants had never received sexual education before becoming pregnant, had more children and were averse to using birth control methods. Most women of all ages indicated they were content with they amount of children they had, but would have preferred to become pregnant for the first time at an older age. The results of the study suggest that the Westernization of Mapuche culture is apparent in the discrepancies of family planning between generations.