1. Reproductive Health in Quito, Ecuador
Kavisha Khanuja, BA; and Kathryn Millen, BA
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ 08854
A Day in the Life:
As participants of the program, we rotated through various public maternity hospitals, adolescent clinics where pregnant patients and new mothers between the ages of 12 and 18 were treated, and primary healthcare centers in Quito. At these hospitals, we were able to observe prenatal and postnatal care, labor and delivery, gynecological surgeries, and emergency cares. In the afternoons, we took Spanish classes at the Amazing Andes Spanish School. The school had teachers for every level of Spanish and they organized field trips to various sites around the city to allow students to become immersed and aware of their surroundings. In the evenings, we returned to our homestays for dinner. The homestays were located in middle class residential neighborhoods in the nortern part of Quito and located close to language school. Staying at home stay allowed us to practice our Spanish speaking skills over a meal and learn more about the culture.
Background on Ecuador:
Capital: Quito
Independence from Spain: May 24, 1822
President: Rafael Correa
Population: 16 million of which 1.73 million reside in Quito
Climate: Tropical on the coasts, Amazon Jungle, Cooler in central highlands/sierra,
Natural Hazards: Frequent earthquakes
Languages: Spanish (93%) and Quechua (4%)
Religion: Roman Catholic (74%), Evangelical (10%)
Tourism: Galapagos, Coca, Quito, Banos, Mindo, Tena, Quilotoa, Cotopaxi, Pinchincha, Otavalo
Background on CFHI:
Child Family Health International is a global health education program in which individuals can participate in clinical practices, public health, social services, global health internships, service learning, and away rotations. CHFI has over 20 programs in 7 different countries that are tailored towards specific requirements of the students.
Reproductive Health in Ecuador Program:
Our program was focused on learning about reproductive healthcare in Ecuador. Although a Free Maternity Law was passed in 1998, there exists a social dichotomy around reproductive health due to the country’s predominantly Catholic and largely conservative societal beliefs.
Maternity in Ecuador:
1 out of 5 teens from and 1 out of 20 between 12 and 14 years are pregnant
78% of teen mothers drop out of school when pregnant
In 1998 Ecuador became one of the few Latin American countries to explicityly guarantee sexual and reproductive health rights to all citizens in their constitution.
National Policy of Sexual Health and Human Rights (2005): Outlines an action plan with nine different programs-including maternal mortality reduction program, family planning program, and adolescents’ program
National Plan for Adolescent Pregnancy (2007): Focuses on the implementation of “adolescent-family services” in addition to improved sex education in schools.
Summary of Trip and Conclusions: Our experiences in Ecuador exposed us to a healthcare system in another country. We observed how the physician/patient relationship differed from the one we have experienced in the United States. Our rotations in the maternidad hospitals opened our eyes to the various types of care and delivery specific to mothers and their children. In addition to the clinical experience, the home stay and Spanish classes helped us improve our Spanish speaking skills and teach us about another culture.