THE CONTRACEPTION OF THE POOR

More than 250,000 people, predominantly women living in extreme poverty, were sterilized in Peru between 1996 and 1998. In the period 1996-97 alone, there were 200,000, according to the report by lawyer Giulia Tamayo. But the Andean case is not the only one. There is evidence that forced sterilizations have occurred, to a greater or lesser extent, in Brazil, Mexico, India, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Bangladesh. And up to 24 countries are said to be on the list of those that have promoted government sterilization campaigns. This is not surprising given that this appears to be the most widely used method of "contraception" in Third World countries. According to the United Nations Population Fund report (1997), it is being applied to 40% of the population as a demographic control practice.