Conception and Birth Control Use: Cambodian Refugee Women's Beliefs and Practices

The cultural knowledge held by Cambodian refugee women in western Canada--and the relationship of this knowledge to contraceptive usage--were investigated through participant observation and ethnographic interviews with 30 refugee women and 1 crou khmer (traditional male healer). The reliability of the research was enhanced by the principal investigator's encouragement of input from a recognized leader of the Cambodian refugee community. None of the respondents showed an understanding of the physiological process of ovulation or the timing of conception within the menstrual cycle. Most attributed achievement of pregnancy to a cool body temperature. Herbal medicines were widely used to relieve menstrual cramps and prevent pregnancy. Refugee women who were currently childbearing or had the potential to bear children were most aware of formal birth control methods. Women who had given birth in Southeast Asia but had the potential to have more children placed equal emphasis on formal and informal methods of fertility control, while women past the childbearing years had no knowledge of Western methods of family planning. The crou khmer expressed a belief in the effectiveness of a burning ritual to prevent pregnancy. The young Cambodian refugees expressed a preference for oral contraceptives and tubal ligation as opposed to methods such as the diaphragm, the IUD, and foam that require the woman touch herself. An obstacle is the fact that young Cambodian women are trained to seek information about topics such as fertility control from Cambodian elders, who have very limited knowledge of modern methods of birth control. This suggests a need for methods to deliver this information in a culturally sensitive manner by a nonelder or to develop training for elders. Any informational material that is developed for this population should link traditional and Western beliefs and practices.