Title: Flexible family planning. Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Abstract: China has an inconsistent family planning policy. It encourages the Han majority in urban areas to have only 1 child and those in rural areas 2 children. It allows minority nationalities in urban areas to have 2 children and those in rural areas to have 4 children. The government did not promote family planning earlier in the Muslim-dominated Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwesternmost part of China because the 13 minority groups did not understand the concept of family planning. Yet, it did not try to promote family planning in the languages of the minorities. The government finally began to promote family planning here in 1989, 18 years after it had introduced the concept to the Han nationality. A noted Islamic leader in the region's capital, Urumqi, supports family planning and his words carry more influence than those of family planning workers. Most of the region's nationalities are Muslims. Just 4% of the huge region is inhabited. Growth of the minority populations has reduced the amount of arable land from 4.2 mu in 1949 to 3.3 mu in 1987. Between 1988 and 2000, the minority population is expected to increase 36% compared to 18% for the Han majority. Presently, 14% of married women are sterilized, 27% use the IUD, and 31% do not use contraception. Obstacles to improving contraceptive use among minorities are failure to provide a consistent supply of long-term contraceptives (e.g., IUD) and a great influx of migrant workers. China needs a common family planning policy. A family planning survey in Xinhe County of Aksu Prefecture shows that urban residents are more likely to know about family planning than rural residents (92% vs. 82%). Most rural residents (79%) want at least 3 children. Rural residents prefer sons due to feudal patriarchal traditions and as a source of field labor and support in old age.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-03-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
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