ABSTRACT
PIP: This study investigates the prevalence of anemia in a group of 500 women requesting contraception for the first time at the Health Center in Durango, Mexico. 92% of women were between 15-34, with the majority in the age group 20-24; most had parity 1-4. The average hemoglobin level was 13.04 g/dl, with SE of 0.08. There were 70 anemic women with hemoglobin level below 12 g/dl, which gave a percentage of 14%. 90% of anemic women presented iron deficiency. 16.8% of the total number of women were within the 1st 6 weeks postpartum or postabortion; of these 32% were anemic. Of the 82.4% of women beyond this period of time only 10.4% were anemic. There was no increase in the prevalence of anemia in women with higher parity; among the 174 obese women the percentage of anemia was 86%. The relatively high prevalence of anemia in women seeking contraception compels the doctor to consider very seriously the type of contraception to be prescribed. In Mexico there is an important difference in the geographic distribution of anemia, which seems to be most common in the province of Yucatan, and which is probably caused by alimentary iron deficiency.^ieng
