WUNRN
ISRAEL
- ANALYSIS OF DEPO PROVERA CONTRACEPTIVE &
WOMEN OF ETHIOPIAN
COMMUNITY IN ISRAEL - ISHA L'ISHA
Direct Link to Full 19-Page Report:
Israel
- Isha L'Isha - Haifa Feminist Center
Women and Medical Technologies Project
Depo Provera: A contraceptive Method Given
via Injection. A report on its Prescription Policy among Women of the Ethiopian
Community in Israel.
By Hedva Eyal, Women and Medical Technologies Project Coordinator
In 2008, an article discussing a deliberate policy of prescribing the "Depo Provera" contraceptive method to women of the Ethiopian community in Israel was published in one of the Israeli daily newspapers. According to the article, this method of contraception was systematically given to these women as a part of a birth reduction policy. We, in Women and Medical Technologies Project, studied this issue and examined whether there is an actual, deliberate, policy on the part of the official health institutions regarding prescribing certain contraceptive methods for a distinct population and specifically for the Ethiopian community in Israel. Furthermore, we examined the ways in which this policy affects the health of women in this community, and whether the rights to freedom of information and choice were upheld during this process.
The different contraceptive methods changed the lives of women, allowing them an unprecedented sexual freedom, alongside a greater amount of freedom regarding their fertility decisions. However, each contraceptive method has its advantages and disadvantages, often requiring continuous medical supervision. Choosing the optimal contraceptive method for a woman requires examining many medical variables and personal preferences. The process of choosing the preferred contraceptive method is a fundamental part of women’s health and protecting their rights, and the quality of a patient-doctor relationship greatly determines whether it is done properly.
In order to check the quality and optimality of this process, one must also examine the political and social conditions under which it takes place, in order to make sure that the professional patient-doctor relationship is not affected by prejudice, racism or any political considerations that tend to shape national and social perceptions of women's bodies, a perception that can contradict basic rights of the patient.
The goals of this report:
- Delivering
information regarding the "Depo Provera" contraceptive method.
- Outlining
and analyzing the distribution policy of this method among Israeli women
in general, and among immigrant women from Ethiopia more specifically.
- Analyzing
the relationship between contraceptive distribution policy and women’s
health, and empowerment.
The report contains three chapters. The first one deals with the "Depo Provera" contraceptive method, its advantages and disadvantages and a historical background of its usage in different countries around the world. The second chapter contains the results of our mapping research and consists of two parts: the first contains the responses of the relevant authorities regarding the method’s distribution policy and the second contains testimonies of women of Ethiopian origin who have used, or are using, Depo Provera. The third chapter discusses the triangular relationship between women, contraceptive methods and these authorities. At the end of the report we summarize our recommendations for changing the policy regarding the distribution of contraceptive methods.
The report was published in Arabic and Hebrew, with a shorter version in Amharic and English.
A link to the full report: http://www.isha.org.il/files/files/File/pdfs/Depo_Provera_Report_2009_%20ENGLISH%202.pdf.
For further information, please contact Hedva Eyal, the coordinator of the Women and Medical Technologies Project at wmt.isha.@gmail.com.
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