Zulu E M
African Population and Health Research Center, General Accident Insurance House, PO Box 10787-00100, G.P.O. Nairobi, Kenya.
Demography. 2001 Nov;38(4):467-79. doi: 10.1353/dem.2001.0042.
Using quantitative and qualitative data from three culturally heterogeneous ethnic groups in Malawi, I show that differences in postpartum sexual abstinence are closely associated with community-specific rationales for the practice, particularly differences in the definition and timing of child-strengthening rituals that couples are required to perform before resuming intercourse. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the primary rationale for abstinence in the study areas is not linked to child spacing. Among Tumbukas in the north, most women perform the ritual immediately after resuming menstruation. Among the other ethnic groups, the rituals can be performed at any time after the end of postpartum bleeding. The study underscores the utility of the complementary micro-level approach in understanding reproductive behavior in sub-Saharan Africa.
利用来自马拉维三个文化各异的族群的定量和定性数据，我发现产后性禁欲的差异与该做法在特定社区的基本原理密切相关，尤其是在夫妻恢复性交前必须进行的增强孩子体质仪式的定义和时间安排上的差异。与传统观念相反，研究区域内禁欲的主要原因与生育间隔无关。在北部的通布卡族中，大多数女性在恢复月经后立即进行该仪式。在其他族群中，仪式可以在产后出血结束后的任何时间进行。该研究强调了互补微观层面方法在理解撒哈拉以南非洲生殖行为方面的作用。
