Description
According to the UNFPA report (2012), Montenegro is one of top ten countries in the world in the most imbalanced sex ratio at birth. International organizations (UNFPA, Council of Europe) and media relate skewed sex ratio to an existing son preference in the society, suggesting that it leads to sex-selective abortion practices in Montenegro. In order to comply with the existing idea of a more desired sex of a child, women in Montenegro need to monitor their health and realize the reproductive aims in collaboration with gynecologists.Based on eight months of ethnographic fieldwork (from June 2017 to March 2018) in the central and northern part of Montenegro, in this paper I explore the complex relationships between women and gynecologists in Montenegro. I suggest that both formal, institutionalized settings and informal and personal relations with gynecologists are employed to realize reproductive aims. While it is important to establish personal relations with a doctor who provides medical opinion, prenatal testing (ultrasound, CVS, amniocentesis, cell-free foetal DNA testing) and abortion can be performed in the formal medical institutions. These relations are seen not only as a way to get access to better maternal care today, but also secure a predictable support mechanism in case of need in the future.
| Period | 19 Oct 2018 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Tracing Informality in Southeast and Northeast Europe. Anthropological Perspectives |
| Event type | Conference |
| Organiser | Riga Stradins University |
| Location | Riga, LatviaShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |