Venezuela : Research on sexual and reproductive health

Première Urgence Venezuela presents the results of an anthropological research related to SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IN THE WARAO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES OF THE ORINOCO DELTA, VENEZUELA

Between November 2023 and June 2024, Première Urgence’s anthropology area carried out research into sexual and reproductive health (SRH) knowledge, attitudes and practices in five indigenous Warao communities in the municipality of Pedernales, in Venezuela’s Delta Amacuro state. These communities are accessible only by river.

Pedernales municipality, in Delta state

The cultural aspects governing family planning / SRH have been taken into account, all the needs related to this subject have been described and the impact of Première Urgence Internationale’s interventions in several Warao communities has been measured.

The closure of their main freshwater canal in 1965 made the Warao particularly vulnerable and contributed to the loss of their cultural references. The soil gradually became more acidic and the salinity of the river’s waters increased, affecting the health of the communities, weakening their economy and habitat, and undermining their traditional culture.

Findings differ by age and gender

Over three consecutive weeks, interviews were conducted with key players in the Delta Amacuro state healthcare system and with leaders of the five communities studied.

Research has shown that the Warao’s ancestral knowledge and practices regarding sexual and reproductive health are gradually being replaced by knowledge of modern Western conceptions of the subject.

Their limited economic resources and means of subsistence encourage them to accept the implementation of family planning to reduce the number of children. This context makes it easier for beneficiaries to accept the implementation of family planning, particularly in the communities closest to the semi-urban Creole colony of Pedernales.

At the same time, the communities most reluctant to implement family planning are the most traditional and the hardest to reach.

Older men are also more resistant due to their lack of knowledge and the weight of rumors, while younger men and women are receptive and demand contraceptive implants.

For women, the inconvenience caused by medical practices limits their access to sexual and reproductive health services.

How to overcome cultural barriers?

To improve access to healthcare services and minimize cultural barriers, Première Urgence Venezuela’s anthropology department has created training courses for field staff in intercultural approaches to healthcare.

Male and female beneficiaries will also be made aware of sexual and reproductive health and family planning, as well as the follow-up of implants.

Finally, intercultural dialogues on health will be organized with communities, focusing on these themes.

These moments of exchange, geared towards finding solutions based on local culture, would guarantee appropriate care.

The results of this research were presented in Tucupita, capital of the Delta Amacuro state, with various organizations that have implemented health and SRH programs with the indigenous Warao population.

This research was carried out as part of an ECHO-funded project.