Suchergebnisse

SummaryIn this paper, non-marital pregnancies are defined as the sum of ex-nuptial confinements and the first nuptial confinements delivered within the first 8 months of marriage. Analysis is based on the annual statistics of live births, marriages and female non-married population as enumerated in the 1947–71 censuses. The incidence of non-marital pregnancies increased significantly in Australia between 1947 and 1971. This was found to be mainly due to rising ex-nuptial fertility rates, and, to a much lesser extent, to increased frequency of pre-marital pregnancies. A lesser proportion of pregnant non-married women were married before delivery in 1971 than in 1947. Some of the social implications are discussed.

SummaryThe paper analyses results of a survey of sexual and reproductive behaviour in a sample of 2301 currently married women aged less than 50 years. The survey was conducted in 22 villages of the ICDDR, B field station in Bangladesh. Admittedly, the sample is not representative as co-operation could not be obtained from about one-third of eligible women. The results suggest higher coital frequencies among Hindu than among Muslim respondents. There appears to be a clear age and marriage duration pattern with coital frequencies declining rapidly to a plateau after about 5 years of marriage and among women aged 25 and over, followed by another steep decline at durations of marriage over 20 years and age 40 and more. Generally, recently married, young, non-breast-feeding, non-contracepting and pregnant respondents reported higher coital frequencies than their peers of opposite characteristics. Post-partum abstinence among both Muslims and Hindus was comparatively short, generally not exceeding 3 months.

SummaryAn investigation of the incidence and pattern of non-marital pregnancies in New Zealand, and their outcome as nuptial or ex-nuptial births, has revealed four major features. The post-war period has been marked by a steady increase in the incidence of non-marital pregnancies, especially since the early 1960s (following the inclusion of Maori vital events). Pre-marital or bridal pregnancies increased during the 1950s, but have steadily declined at all ages between 16 and 23 years during the 1960s and early 1970s. Nuptial fertility rates for women aged 35 years and over have declined continuously since 1945, and since the early 1960s the decline has commenced for women at younger ages as well. Ex-nuptial fertility rates have been increasing throughout the post-war period and particularly since the early 1960s.