Sex preferences in Turkey

Nufusbil Derg. 1993:15:23-32.

Abstract

PIP: The analysis of data from the 1988 Turkish Population and Health Survey showed an overall sex ratio of 103 males per 100 females. The sex ratio was 125 for women with one child and 95 for women with 5 or more children. The sex ratio was 119 for the last child and 94 for all children. The sex ratio was 74 for women desiring another child and 108 for women wanting no more children. The sex ratio was high for women who wanted to stop childbearing after the first birth. The implication was that women were willing to stop or delay childbearing after a son's first birth. 33% of women had no sex preference for their next child, among those women desiring an additional child. 41.9% desired a boy and 25.0% desired a girl in 1978; in 1988, 38.8% desired a boy and 29.2% desired a girl. Those answering that future births were up to God declined from 7% in 1978 to 4% in 1988. Among women with 1 child, over 70% desired a child of the opposite sex. Almost 90% of women with no boy or girl wanted a child of that sex. 36.5% desired a boy if their first child was a boy and 6.8% desired a girl. If there were 2 sons, 87.5% desired a girl and 5.5% desired a boy. 59.7% desired a boy and a girl, and 12.1% desired 2 boys and 1 girl. Almost 10% desired no children. There was a stronger desire for sons, particularly among those desiring only 1 child. The sex ratio was 112 for women without children but desiring children. In the absence of sex preference, 3.5% more would desire no more children and contraceptive use would increase by 1.8%.

MeSH terms

  • Asia
  • Asia, Western
  • Behavior
  • Demography*
  • Developing Countries
  • Population
  • Population Characteristics
  • Population Dynamics
  • Psychology
  • Sex Distribution
  • Sex Factors
  • Sex Ratio*
  • Sex*
  • Social Values
  • Turkey