Zurayk H, Sholkamy H, Younis N, Khattab H
Population Council, Regional Office for West Asia and North Africa, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1997 Jul;58(1):13-21. doi: 10.1016/s0020-7292(97)02870-1.
The paper reviews key health problems of women in the Arab World. It relies on data and information from international yearbooks, regional data bases, and small scale field studies. The relevant context in which women live; of lingering illiteracy rates, lack of access to cash income, and increasing poverty is described. Reproductive health is reviewed within this context pointing to trends of delayed marriage and declining fertility in some countries while other countries maintain high levels. Similar variability is observed in contraceptive use rates and the interaction of contraception and health is discussed. Evidence points to high levels of reproductive morbidity. The socio-cultural context is found particularly relevant to pregnancy and childbirth, seen as natural processes by women, to experiences of menopause, and to violence against women, particularly female circumcision. A holistic policy perspective is suggested to address these problems.
该论文回顾了阿拉伯世界女性的关键健康问题。它依赖于国际年鉴、区域数据库和小规模实地研究的数据与信息。文中描述了女性所处的相关背景，即文盲率居高不下、缺乏现金收入以及贫困加剧的情况。在此背景下对生殖健康进行了回顾，指出一些国家存在结婚年龄推迟和生育率下降的趋势，而其他国家则维持在较高水平。在避孕药具使用率方面也观察到类似的差异，并讨论了避孕与健康之间的相互作用。有证据表明生殖疾病发病率很高。社会文化背景被发现与怀孕和分娩、女性视为自然过程的绝经经历以及针对女性的暴力行为，尤其是女性割礼，特别相关。建议从整体政策角度来解决这些问题。
