Reproductive behavior of women from a rural community in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this descriptive and retrospective study was to delineate the reproductive profile of women living in a rural community of Tefé Municipality, Amazonas State, Brazil. The target audience included women (n = 10), aged 18 years and older, living in the Agrovila community, rural area, distant 13.2 km from the center of Tefé. All participants were interviewed, individually, based on a questionnaire designed exclusively for the present study. The results of the descriptive analyzes indicated that the interviewees reached the menarche between 13 and 17 years old, and the first pregnancy occurred during adolescence, between 14 and 16 years old. Half of the women interviewed reported regular use of contraceptive methods regularly. However, the average number of children per woman was 4.6 children. All women reported prenatal care in all pregnancies. However, 50% reported complications during pregnancy; while 20% had one or two miscarriages due to eclampsia. These data point to the need to improve prenatal consultations, raise awareness about the risks of eclampsia for maternal health, as well as the creation of reproductive health programs that recognize the social and cultural conditions of isolated Amazonian communities.