Medical Assignment: Infanticide and Abortion in Cuba

This medical assignment explores the rates of infanticide and abortion in Cuba, the reasons behind them, and their impact on the social structure. It also compares the situation in Cuba with that in the USA.

Running head: MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Answer 1
Cuba is one of the Latin American countries that have higher rates of abortions as well as
infanticide. The situations were not similar to what it is currently in the country and in the
governmental reports; researchers noticed an increase in the self-induced abortions among the
Cuban women (Gonzalez & Gilleskie, 2017). With increase in the number or private and illegal
abortions increasing every day and the rate of low abortion cost for private healthcare facilities
increased the rate in a huge percentage (Smyth & Stronge, 2015). Therefore, for curbing of the
high rate of infanticide, abortion and female fertility, the Cuban government started developing
legal aspects such as abortion law, Cuban abortion policy and then reproduction rights have been
helping to develop the environment that women could be provided with their abilities to undergo
infanticide or birth control (Balcom et al., 2018).
Answer 2
Increased rate of infanticide and abortions in Cuba indicate to the fact that majority of the
contraception methods are not conducting effectively so that women do not face such
complication within healthcare facilities (Gonzalez & Gilleskie, 2017). As mentioned in the
research of Ti and Curtis (2019), rate of correlation between high consumption of contraception
failure increases the risk of infanticide and abortion that could be observed in the statistics of the
country. As the rate of abortion and complicated pregnancies has increased 20%, majority of the
women are not being able to use or speak this for their own improper abortions and hence it
should be observed in the care process (Schulte, 2015).

2MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Answer 3
Despite the fact that the Cuban women have been provided with the abilities so that they
can decide the future of fetus, the rates of infanticide and especially the female infanticide have
affected the social structure (Gonzalez & Gilleskie, 2017). In this condition, it was mentioned
that due to the unplanned infanticide and abortion of the girl child, increased disparity in the sex
ratio around the world could be observed. Cuba has already reached an alarming health condition
due to its improper sex ratio and majority of these risk factors affect the flower and weaker
sections of the society (Schulte, 2015). The primary reason behind this could be social stigma
social discrimination and then the complications that are associated with the complete thought
process.
Answer 4
Sex selective aspect and higher prevalence of the female infanticide has increased the
complication of the both the countries and the communities in Cuba as well as in USA. As per
Jones and Jerman (2017), one condition, which is affecting the social structure of Cuba and USA
is the increased number of private and unplanned abortions, infanticides and sex selective
abortions. It was mentioned in the research of Jerman, Jones and Onda (2016) that in recent
years, the number of teenage abortions has increased in USA and it is affecting the mentality and
social structure of the communities. Unlike Cuba, most of the abortions are occurring in
governmental or public healthcare facilities however, the rates are still at its height in both the
countries (Berdine, Geloso & Powell, 2018). Hence, this is the equation that could be drawn
between USA and Cuba for this situation.

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References
Balcom, D., Carrico, R., Goss, L., Mutsch, K., & Bosson, R. (2018). The Impact of Zika Virus
Education on Selection of Birth Control Methods Among Cuban Refugees Resettling in
Louisville, Kentucky in 2016. Journal of Doctoral Nursing Practice, 11(1), 88-92.
Berdine, G., Geloso, V., & Powell, B. (2018). Cuban infant mortality and longevity: health care
or repression?. Health policy and planning.
Gonzalez, R. M., & Gilleskie, D. (2017). Infant mortality rate as a measure of a country’s health:
a robust method to improve reliability and comparability. Demography, 54(2), 701-720.
Jerman, J., Jones, R. K., & Onda, T. (2016). Characteristics of US abortion patients in 2014 and
changes since 2008. Retrieved from:
https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/characteristics-us-abortion-
patients-2014.pdf
Jones, R. K., & Jerman, J. (2017). Population group abortion rates and lifetime incidence of
abortion: United States, 2008–2014. American Journal of Public Health, 107(12), 1904-
1909.
Schulte, J. (2015). The Cuban Health Care System and Child Health Outcomes: an Admirable
Accomplishment with Lurking Questions.
Smyth, S., & Stronge, S. (2015). Comparison of family planning in Cuba and Ireland. Nursing
Standard (2014+), 29(52), 45.

4MEDICAL ASSIGNMENT
Ti, A., & Curtis, K. M. (2019). Postpartum hormonal contraception use and incidence of
postpartum depression: a systematic review. The European Journal of Contraception &
Reproductive Health Care, 1-8.