Patterns of reproduction among the Fang of Nsork (Equatorial Guinea): pregnancies, abortions and child spacing

ABSTRACT

Fang women are known to practice virtually no contraception but for them induced abortion is not an acceptable option. Their reproductive behaviour consequently is governed by the ability to conceive, spontaneous intrauterine mortality and child spacing (due to prolonged breast-feeding and sexual abstinence). In a sample of 587 women from one hospital and one clinic in Nsork, there was a positive correlation between maternal age and the number of pregnancies, resulting in a mean of 5.52 pregnancies per female and one child born every 2.5 years. The reported spontaneous abortion rate was 28.6 per cent