Women, Reproduction, and Health in Rural Egypt: The Giza Study

Abstract

This book represents the culmination of a 10-year research study conducted by the Reproductive Health Working Group on reproductive health. The study examines the reproductive health of women living in an economically deprived area in Egypts Giza governorate by utilizing innovative field methods that combine the best clinical medicine epidemiology and anthropology. This book reveals not only the actual status of womens reproductive health but also their own perceptions about their health. Furthermore it shows that these perceptions in the context of widespread poverty and prevailing cultural customs govern reproductive health and the utilization of health services more than any other single factor. It is hoped that the findings of the study with appropriate modifications will make a significant contribution to the experience and knowledge of policymakers and health care providers on the problem of womens reproductive health.