Women's Health/Gender Roles
Women's Health/Gender Roles
Most of this information holds true for Vietnamese in Vietnam as well as for traditional Vietnamese in the United States. Many Vietnamese women do seek Western healthcare throughout their pregnancy and following the delivery, but they may also be influnced by traditional practices
The normal birthing period is between the ages of 20 and 50
Birth Control:
There is not much widespread support for it Catholic and Buddhist.
Until recently the "safe method" period was the most widely used method. This method involves timing the woman's menstrual cycle and abstaining from sex during ovulation.
There is extremely limited support for abortion as a means of terminating an unwanted child, mostly due to religious beliefs, but also to due the fact that the more children a couple has the more status they gain.
Sterility:
It is considered extremely shameful for a Vietnamese couple if they cannot conceive.
Reasons for sterility are not thought to be anatomical, rather they are associated with such ideas such as bad karma due to misdeeds, intervention of evil spirits, or age disparity.
Prenatal Precautions:
Vietnamese women are subject to nausea and vomiting due to the sudden distaste for some staple foods, such as rice and fish.
They avoid too much nourishment because they do not want a large fetus that may cause a difficult delivery.
Smoking and chewing tobacco are not prohibited during pregnancy.
Certain foods are intentionally avoided, while others are specifically eaten (See dietary concerns), this also holds true for certain drugs.
Throughout the pregnancy, women are not supposed to complain.
Women are urged to keep active until the time of the birth, as it is believed that inactivity causes disorders. Due to this belief, many Vietnamese women will remain active even during the early stages of childbirth, and will wait until the last minute to seek help.
There is no sex after the third month of pregnancy.
Several taboos exist for pregnant women: they should not raise or stretch their arms, step over a dog, rope or hammock, climb a ladder or drive nails, and should lie on their side rather than their back.
Child Birth:
Child birth is expected to be easy.
Many prefer to give birth in their home; this is due to the belief that birth should occur in the same place as conception.
Traditionally, no pain medication is accepted.
A man's presence is not desired.
It is believed that birth will occur at night.
A woman in labor is not supposed to cry out or make much noise.
Custom forbids the use of metal tools to cut the umbilical cord.
The Vietnamese believe in burying the placenta and the umbilical cord.
Post delivery hemorrhaging is regarded by rural Vietnamese as normal and desirable.
Post Delivery:
Due to several dietary restrictions, women often become malnourished for up to three months after delivery.
Often times women will refuse to bathe, or drink juice or water because they feel the body is in danger of becoming too cold due to the loss of blood, which is hot.
See Dietary Concerns for specific prenatal and post delivery food restrictions
Gender Roles:
In Vietnam, men are superior to women and males are the preferred sex for children.
Women are extremely loyal to their husbands despite the fact that the men may be cheating on them, or even abusing them (interview with Tom Doan).
Women will not leave an abusive relationship or report it to the police because they do not want their husband to be punished.
Cultural Diversity
