La operacion.

Abstract

At long last we have some official information regarding that troublesome statistic often used by persons implying a genocidal plot in Puerto Rico: "35% fo all Puerto Rican women have been sterilized." According to a letter received by Mrs. Mary Morain, AVS board member, from Dr. Maria Teresa Berio, president of Puerto Rico's Commission for the Improvement of Women's Rights: Sterilization is a favorite method of the Puerto Rican women for family planning. It began in 1943 and its rate among women of reproductive age increased until 1968 when, according to a study done by Dr. Jose Velasquez Calzada, professor of demography of the University of Puerto Rico, School of Public Health, it reached 35%. The government had never officially offered these services through its family planning progra. In february 1974, when the leadership of the program was reorganized and the socioeconomic composition of that 35% was analyzed, it was found that the majority, almost 66% of the women, were of the upper class and the upper middle class, denying the concept that only the poor are sterilized and at the same time indicating an injustice in regard to the accessibility of these services. Only women of means or those who could pay were being sterilized, and those with lower incomes had no access to these services although they wanted and needed them as much as those who could pay. It was in order to correct an injustice in the offering of sterilization services that we decided to offer this operation free of charge to all strata of society. The poor did not have the same access as the rich to these serviecs. The Puerto Rican Family Planning Program is strictly voluntary. In no way are people convinced or coerced to use these services. The people of Puerto Rico have enthusiastically endorsed the family planning program. In a study carried out in 1974 by the Department of Health, 83% of the population believes that sterilization should be offered by the program and should be free of charge.