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  • Title: Nuptiality and fertility in the Dominican Republic.
    Author: Ebanks GE, Loaiza E.
    Journal: J Biosoc Sci; 1989 Jan; 21(1):71-82. PubMed ID: 2925701.
    Abstract:
    Women in marital unions had more live births than those in consensual unions. The relationship between cumulative fertility and the number of fertile sexual unions is positive for the early childbearing years and negative for the later ones. There is no consistent pattern of relationship between fertility and the sociocultural independent variables for different subgroups according to nuptiality pattern. The relationship between fertility and nuptiality in the Dominican Republic is consistent with that for the Caribbean region. World Fertility Survey data from 1977 were used to investigate the relationship between fertility and nuptiality (marital versus consensual unions) in the Dominican Republic. Over half of all women surveyed in the age groups 15-49 years were in consensual unions and survey subjects averaged 1.42 sexual unions. Overall, women currently married had about 1 more live birth than those not currently married. For women in unions less than 5 years, there was no difference in current levels of fertility. Women who were married and in a sexual union for 5-9 years averaged 1/4 of a live birth less than those in consensual unions; however, women in a sexual union for 10 years and more had higher current fertility levels than unmarried women. Married women in a sexual union for 20 years or more had 1.5 more live births than unmarried women. Overall, women who were initially in a consensual union and then married have 0.26 more live births than women who were initially married and remained married. Those who began sexual relations in, and are still in, a consensual union have almost 1 birth less than married women. Thus, in the 10 years following 1st sexual intercourse women in the 2 unstable unions (consensual union and consensual union followed by marriage) have higher fertility than those who were initially and remain married. After 10 years, though, the initially married women who remained have the highest fertility levels and women who changed from consensual to married unions have the 2nd highest level. There is no consistent pattern of relationship between fertility and independent variables such as education, residence, age, and contraceptive use for the different nuptiality subgroups. Given increased reliance on effective use of contraception and a convergence of family size desires, the fertility differential between women in married versus consensual unions may diminish in the future.
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