Date of Defense
4-29-2015
Date of Graduation
5-2015
Department
Biological Sciences
First Advisor
Ann Miles
Second Advisor
Annette Hamel
Abstract
Within Maya populations in rural Guatemala, childbearing is considered a sacred and spiritual experience, in addition to a physical one. This country is home to some of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in Latin America, along with the largest disparities in health care, primarily between the indigenous Maya and ladino women (Schooley 2009). The use of biomedical reproductive services remains surprisingly low among the Maya, while it is continually rising in the ladino populations. To increase the overall reproductive health care in these indigenous communities, attention must be given to the understanding of Maya’s beliefs, therefore enabling quality care to be provided that is culturally acceptable. To bridge this gap between economic, social, ethnic, and cultural differences between the Maya and ladinos, there must be an increase in respect from the ladino population for the Maya’s traditional practices and an integration of health care services.
Recommended Citation
Payton, Kelsay, "Family Planning, Pregnancy, and Birth in Guatemala: Maya Women and Modern Healthcare" (2015). Honors Theses. 2539.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/honors_theses/2539
Access Setting
Honors Thesis-Open Access
Defense Presentation
Included in
Biology Commons, Other Medical Sciences Commons, Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons