The Place of Contraception and Abortion in the Lives of Samoan Women

Abstract

This thesis presents a research study which explored contraception and abortion in the lives of forty Samoan women living in Porirua, New Zealand. The Samoan women were invited to share their stories based on reflection of their experiences both individually and in women's groups. The study is grounded in Samoanisi (Samoan) ways of knowing. It was shaped by my position as an indigenous Samoan woman and nurse who trained in 1970 in nursing and is currently living in New Zealand. A Samoanisi methodology has been developed in this research to tell Samoan women's stories. The tanoa/kava bowl model emerged from initial discussions, as a medium of conversation and education, during the research. It was developed as a method which enabled the women to powerfully surface the deeper meaning of their ideas in their own language. A further development of the methodology occurred in model form termed 'the eyes of the people'. This model enabled me to explore the process of thinking and exploring in images closely aligned to Samoan culture. The research project using this model enabled me to listen to Samoan women with an awareness of how they construct and reveal meaning in their lives. Each Samoan woman's story was maintained as a whole text in either the Samoan and/or English language. The stories have been edited and presented in the thesis in a readable style. Messages conveyed by the women were identified and grouped into key messages and analysed to draw out the main themes. The stories of four New Zealand born women were compared to four Samoan born women using an indepth content analysis. The findings showed that the majority of the Samoan women in the study opposed contraception, as it is not part of Samoan culture. Samoan women do not use abortion as a method of fertility control. The study reveals how Samoan family infrastructure has a great impact on Samoan women's choices. However, the study also showed a tension is created by policies of the predominant Papalagi (Western) culture in New Zealand, which challenges many Samoan women's way of including the family in the decision making in their health needs. The main issue that emerged from this research was the need for discussion and education for the whole family related to sexuality which embraces contraception" abortion, Samoan values, traditional methods of birth knowledge, and the concept of Samoan whole being. There is a critical and immediate need for research into the efficacy of Samoan traditional/indigenous methods of contraception and women's knowledge. There is a need for discussions between Samoan women/families and health professionals to develop policies that will sensitively consider the high abortion rate of Samoan/Pacific Island women. The Samoan women indicated that they need to feel safe, secure, and supported by their own families and the community of Samoan people, to maintain their dignity. Further testing of the evolved methodology developed in this study could be used for research in other areas the women indicated affected their health.

O lenei tusitusiga ua faalauiloa ai manatu ma talitonuga o tina/tamaitai Samoa e toafasefulu i le tulaga o aiga fuafuaina ma le faapau'uina o ma'itaga i olaga o temaitai Samoa. O lenei su'esu'ega na faia i Porirua i Niu Sila. E toavalu tamaitai Samoa sa matou talatalanoa taitoatasi i o latou lagona i le mataupu. E toafa tamaitai na frnanau i Niu Sila, ma le toafa na frnanau i Samoa ae na o mai i Niu Sila o laiti ma a'o'oga ai. E toatolusefulu ma le lua tina/tamaitai Samoa i faalapotopotoga e lua sa matou talatalanoa faafesaga'i e sailia ai le loloto o lagona ma manatu o tina Samoa i le mataupu ua faatalanoaina. O lenei suesuega ua faamautuina i le Samoanisi e ala lea i mafaufruga talitonuga ma auala faa-Samoa na faatinoina mai i lo'u tulaga o le tausimai tagatanuu moni o Samoa na fanau ma ola mai i Samoa ae na a'oa'oina i Niu Sila i le malamalama faa-Papalagi i le tausimai. O le auala su'esu'e (methodolory) o le Samoanisi e pei o le gagana Samoa sa faaaogaina matou te talatalanoa fefaafesaga'i ai ma tina/tamaitai sa fananau i Samoa, ma le gagana faa-Peretania e talatanoa ai ma tina sa fananau i Niu Sila O le faalauteleina o le auala su'esu'e (methodology) ua ou faaaogaina ai le 'umete/tanoa palu'ava' e fai ma faatusa (model) ma auivi (framework) o le Samoanisi e faauigaina ai uiga o faamatalaga a tina/tamaitai Samoa O le faalauteleina o le uiga o le 'tanoa' ua maua ai le isi faaopoopoga o le uiga o le su'esu'ega, i se faatusa ua ou ta'ua o le 'va'aiga a tagata' (eyes of the people model). O lo'u faaaogaina o lenei faatusa ua ou mafaia ai ona faamatalaina le taua ma le aanoa o uiga o tala a tina/tamaitai Samoa i o latou olagq, e faatatau i le mataupu o le su'esu'ega. I lenei lava sue'esu'ega, ua ou faaaogaina ai foi le 'tanoa/umete' e fai ma faatusa faa-le-mafaufau, e faamatalaina ai le taua o faasinomaga ma olaga o tina/tamaitai Samoa i le Samoanisi. O uiga o faamatalaga a tina/tamaitai Samoa i le mataupu e matele lava i le faasino o a latou faamatalaga i a'afiaga o le 'vaaiga a tagata'i olaga o tina/tamaitai Samoa. O uiga o faamatalaga a tina/tamaitai Samoa ua maua mai ai le 'agaga autu' (theme) o le su'esu'ega i le malosi o le 'vaaiga a tagata' (the eyes of the pople) e vaai maualalo ai i tina/tamaitai Samoa pea tutupu mai ai faafitauli tau tarmitai, po o le siitia ai foi o tulaga manalu o tina/tamaitai Samoa i aiga totonu o nuu ma Ekalesia pea latou uia tulaga e tausaafia i le 'vaaiga a tagata'. O le fralauteleina o mafaufauga atia'e (theory development) o lenei faatusa ua mafai ai ona ou faavasegaina talitonuga, manatu autu ma uiga o faamatalaga a tina/tamaitai Samoa e faatatau i o latou olaga, i totonu o le tanoa O le faaaogaina o auala su'esu'e ma mafaufauga faa-Samoanisi i lenei su'esu'ega e faamoemoe e fai ma ta'iala e faamalamalama ai i Papalagi uiga, amioga ma lagona moni o tina Samoa lava ia. O le faavasegaina o tala a tina taitoafasi ua faatumauina i le gagana na faamatalaina ai a latou tala i lenei tusitusiga, ona faatoa ou tusia ai lea i le kalama ma le faitauga e solo lelei i le faitau. O manatu autu mai i faamatalaga a tina taitoatasi sa tolaulauina ma faavasegaina i uiga o a latou tala ina ia maua ai le autu ma le agaga moni o a latou faamatalaga. Sa faatusatusaina tala a tina taitoatasi na fananau i Niu Sila i tala a tina taitoatasi na fananau i Samoa e ala i le faavasegaina o uiga o a latou tala i manatu autu na ou filifilia e feagai ma le agaga o a latou tala. Na faia lea tulaga i tina/tamaitai taitoatasi ona e le paleni ai manatu o tina na fananau i Niu Sila pea faatusatusa i manatu o tina/tamaitai uma na fananau i Samoa, ona o le toatele o tina/tamaitai na auai i le su'esu'ega na fananau i Samoa. O faaiuga o lenei su'esu'ega ua faailoa mai ai le tete'e tele o tina/tamaitai Samoa i aiga fuafuaina faa-Papalagi ona e le o ni tu faa-Samoa. Ua faailoa mai foi i le su'esu'ega lenei e le ose tulaga e fuafua ai fanau a tina/tamaitai Samoa le faapau'uine o ma'itaga. Ua faailoa mai foi i faamatalaga a tina/tamaitai Samoa le a'afia o olaga o tina/tamaitai Samoa ia latou filifiliga ta'itoatasi ona o le le lagolagoina male le malamalama o o tatou lava aiga Ua faapena foi ona aliali mai a'afiaga o tulafono a Papalagi e pei o le tulafono faalilolilo (privacy act) ma le tulafono e faatagaina ai ona faapau'u maitaga (abortion law), i soifua maloloina o tina/tamaitai Samoa i le le aofia o aiga i filifiliga e faia ai tonu lelei mo le tausiga o tina/tamaitai Samoa. O manatu autu na maua mai i lenei su'esu'ega o le faatauaina lea o le faia o talatabnoaga faa-le-aiga poo talatalaga-aiga i le faatauaina o le tagata atoa i le talatalanoa lea i lagona o tina/tamaitai i o latou tino, aiga fuafuaina, ma'itaga faapau'u, o manatu taua ma talitonuga e faatauaina i le aiga Samoa, auala faa-natura, ma le faia o ni su'esu'ega e sailia ai le saogalemu o auala ma le malamalama faa-atunuu. Sa faaalia foi e tina/tamaitai Samoa le taua o le femalamlamaa'i ma talatalanoa o atga ma tina Samoa, aemaise i latou ua faigaluega i Matagaluega a le Soifua Maloloina i a'afiaga o polisia i soifua maloloina o tina Samoa, e pei o polisia i ma'itaga faapau'u. Ae faasilisili ai ona faatauaina le saogalemu ma le lagolagoina o tina Samoa e o tatou lava tagata ma aiga, ina ia siitia ai tulaga mamalu o tamaitai Samoa i le lalolagi. O se isi itu taua ua maua mai i lenei su'esu'ega o le saunia lea o anala su'esu'e faa-Samoa e faia ai su'esu'ega mo tagata Samoa lava ia. O auala su'esu'e ua faaaogaina i lenei su'esu'ega e aoga mo nisi su'esu'ega i soifua maloloina o tina Samoa, aemaise o tatou lava tagata.