Contraceptives and Population Control in Polynesian Culture
|
Polynesian cultures have spent thousands of years learning to live in harmony with their islands and nature. While large families are traditionally encouraged for religious, political, and social reasons, there are times when population control is necessary. Before access to modern contraceptives, many islands had to make difficult choices. The most famous of these islands and the terrible choices they have had to make is Tikopia.
Of all the Polynesian cultures, the small 1.8 square mile island of Tikopia in the Southwestern Pacific has developed the methods and means of population control in order to maintain a strict population of 1200 people. Tikopia has been inhabited for over three thousand years and it is considered by modern researchers to be a truly sustainable society. Population control is a key element in the island’s stability. Over the millennia, infanticide, abortion, coital control, suicide, and conflict have been the means of keeping the population level at about 1200 people (O’Leary 2007). Since many of the means used to control the population of Tikopia are difficult and not socially acceptable, other means of contraception have evolved. For instance, the use of herbal substances such as dried papaya seeds. When dried and ground, these seeds provide a fairly reliable form of natural male contraception. It has been shown through medical experiments to provide a high rate of contraceptive success. These same experiments show that full fertility is restored to similar levels before treatment without any side effects or damage to future fertility (NIRMAL K. LOHIYA, 1999). With ease of access to modern contraceptives, these traditional methods of contraception and population control are ending. Due to the size, separation, and remoteness, these modern techniques are slow to permeate the Polynesian islands. In many areas, there are concerted efforts to bring in modern contraceptive techniques (Kennedy 2013). Ross Campbell |