Despite considerable worldwide attention to maternal and child health, for many societies there is little information about the traditional beliefs, practices, and experiences associated with women's reproductive lives. This study is an ethnography of menarche, menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and menopause in one Pacific Island society experiencing significant culture change. The beliefs and practices that surround these uniquely female experiences in this community are explored by combining historic and contemporary data from the Micronesian community of...
Despite considerable worldwide attention to maternal and child health, for many societies there is little information about the traditional beliefs...