Peace Without Poison

y now, as has happened on the Haitian side of the island where population control measureswere started 30 years later.From 1960 to 1980, when fertility declined from 7.6 to 4.2 children per woman, contraceptiveswere non-existent on the island and the decline was entirely accomplished through covertchemical sterilization. From the 1980s onward the government has tried to conceal its use ofcovert methods of sterilization by increasing contraceptive use. However, throughout theeighties contraceptives remained under 50% yet fertility declined from 4.2 to 3.4 children perwoman. During the nineties contraceptives rose to 60% and fertility declined from 3.4 to 3children per woman. And since the beginning of the century contraceptives rose to 70% andfertility declined from 3 to 2.4 children per woman.At no point in time could contraceptives account for the drop in fertility though increasingly theyplay a role both to hide the true source of decline and in the hope that eventually they willreplace covert chemical sterilization.Abortion is relatively rare in the Dominican Republic, as the historical record shows, and hasnever exceeded 19% (in 2004).The Dominican Republic has been rewarded for its war on fertility with a growing GDP. Therecord shows that as fertility has declined the GDP per capita has increased.The Dominican Republic is in the third stage of the demographic transition.228 | P a g e