Transitioning to the West: Gender Attitudes about Contraception and Pregnancy in a Former Soviet Union Country

Over the past 70 years former Soviet Union women have had relatively
different reproductive lives and histories than their European counterparts. Since the break-up of the Soviet
Union those countries that have European roots now have the possibility to transition toward a Western
standard of living. Belarus is a country bordering Poland, and in three years time will likely be one of the
countries just outside of the European Union borders. This article reports on the results of the National Survey
of Belarusian Men’s and Women’s Reproductive Attitudes and Behaviors (Borkovskaya &Kurilovich, 2002) as
well as a smaller qualitative study of one hundred and fifty women following their abortion experiences (Mufel,
Speckhard, &Sivuha, 2002) and discusses how current attitudes and behaviors may influence or impede
Belarusian women’s transition into modern Western roles. KEY WORDS: gender equality, reproductive
behavior, gender stereotypes, abortion, fertility control, pregnancy.