Factors Affecting the Decision to Seek Pre-natal Care and the Process of Integration of Rural Women into the Medical System

Abstract

Despite the massive extension of the maternal and child health infrastructure in the Mexican rural environment, several women have not had access to medical pre-natal care during their pregnancies. By identifying the type of pre-natal care, (with either a physician and/ or a midwife) and measuring its intensity, this article shows that women's incorporation into the modern medical system is determined by their experiences during each of their pregnancies, particularly the first. The results of a demographic survey in three rural localities in the state of Morelos show that when women receive pre-natal care during their first pregnancy, they are likely to seek it during subsequent pregnancies. In other cases, the circumstances of childbirth will determine whether or not they are incorporated into the medical system.