Politics, Population, and Family Planning in Guatemala: Ch’orti’ Maya Experiences

The Guatemalan population has increased from 3 million to over 11 million since 1950. A close look at the Guatemalan population boom, especially among Mayas, reveals several interrelated factors at play, including 1) a lifestyle based on manual labor and cooperation of kin, 2) inadequate indigenous contraceptive techniques, 3) poverty and marginality from public services, 4) ethnic distrust, 5) religion, 6) gender inequality, and, ultimately, 7) inadequate international and state assistance for family planning. Despite the myriad challenges to family planning in Guatemala, the physical and cultural accessibility to contraceptives can be enhanced by a holistic family planning program.