Knowledge, action and resistance: the selective use of pre-natal screeningamong Bedouin women of the Negev, Israel

The selective use of prenatal screening by Bedouin women attending Ministry of Health, maternal and child health clinics in Israel is examined. The da ta consist of a review of 537 prenatal care records, 16 in depth interviews with mothers, and foul interviews with health personnel. These data are pa rt of a larger study that took place between 1994-99 amongst Negev Bedouin women, part of the Palestinian Arab minority within Israel. The record revi ew shows that the majority of women who attend prenatal care do not take up referrals for Maternal Serum Alpha Fete Protein (MSAFP) testing or for amn iocentesis tests. Although many women interviewed talked about the value of prenatal screening, they also spoke of 'false alarms' that may result from testing. Similarly, women were aware that the socially preferred pattern o f consanguinity in marriage amongst the Bedouin may cause medical problems, however test uptake was unrelated to consanguinity. There was a variety of views concerning the permissibility of terminating a pregnancy. This study shows that women use prenatal screening selectively in a way that helps th em to balance social and medical risk. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.