Modesty and family planning.

The author relates her observations in the barrios of Guayaquil Ecuador on the interaction of modesty and population clinic attendance (and contraceptive usage). Little has been done to relate the cultural ideals of womanhood in Latin America to the feelings of a woman in a health clinic. Questions should be kept to a minimum since they embarrass the women. The in-depth study of 65 families revealed that "verguenza" (shame or embarrassment) was a major obstacle to clinic attendance. As many as 48% of the women who went to a family planning clinic were not planning to return for reasons of embarrassment. In order to be effective clinics must take the womens needs and feelings into account. Interviews with the women should not be within the hearing of others a woman should have privacy and security in the examining room her legs should be draped during examination trivial talk should be avoided etc. However these changes will not be effective "without a fundamental understanding on the part of the clinic staff of the principle involved and a consequent respect for a womans feeling of modesty."