37.8% of births registered were done by cesarean section in 2023

The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) presented the main results of the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) 2023, that informed that 37.8% of births registered at national level, were done by cesarean section, in the previous five years to the survey, proportion that meant an increase of 1.2 percentage points, compared to the year 2022 (36.6%).

The greater percentages of births by cesarean section took place in Lima Metropolitan area (49.0%) and the departments of Tumbes (47.9%) and Moquegua (47.0%). In lower proportion, this surgical procedure was applied in Huánuco (19.0%), Loreto (19.9%), Amazonas (20.5%) and Huancavelica (20.7%).

According to the 2023 ENDES results, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) in women of 15 to 49 years of age was of 1.8 daughters or sons per women. It is estimated that the TFR for rural area (2.7 children per women), a figure a higher than that of urban area (1.7 children per women).

During the year 2023, 65.2% of women currently live-in partners (married and cohabitant) do not want more children; against 31.1% that want to have children or want more children if they already have them.

The INEI informed that 15.3% of women have ever had a pregnancy that had ended in miscarriage, abortion or stillbirth within the five years previous to the Survey. From the total, 84.9% occurred when they have between 1 to 3 months of pregnancy.

During the year 2023, 98.1% of pregnant women of the country, received prenatal care, which was provided mostly by the obstetrician (65.2%), followed by 30.1% of pregnant women were attended by physician and 2.8% were attended by nurse.

During the year 2023, 93.3% of women had institutional birth, it means, that the birth was attended in a health establishment by qualified health personnel and did not showed variation, compared to the year 2022.

Among the departments with the lower percentages were Amazonas (70.8%), Loreto (76.9%) and Ucayali (85.3%). Meanwhile, the following departments registered the highest percentages Apurímac (99.5%), Arequipa (99.2%) and Institutional Province of Callao (98.9%).

At national level, the average age for the first union in women of 25 to 49 years old was 22 years old, in 2023. Meanwhile, the average age of the first sexual relation was of 18.3 years old.

During the year 2023, 22.7% of women of 15 to 49 years of age had anaemia, a higher percentage than the reported in the year 2022 (20.6%). According to place of residence, this disease mainly affected the urban area (22.9%) and in the departments of Puno (31.8%), Loreto (29.4%) and Ucayali (27.6%).

The 2023 ENDES revealed that 17.3% of women of 40 to 60 years old carried out clinical breast examination within the last 12 months. 18.7% belonged to the segment of 40 to 49 years of age.

During the year 2023, 21.7% of persons of 18 to 75 years old carried out a general health check to rule out some form of cancer in the last 24 months. The percentage was higher in women (36.8%) than in men (11.7%).

During the last year, 10.9% of persons of 15 years old and older, had some depressive episode in the last 12 months. This percentage was higher in women (14.6%) than in men (6.9%). According to the natural region, the greater percentage was registered in the residents of the Highlands (14.1%), followed by the Coast (10.2%) and in lower percentage in the Jungle (8.3%).

According to the Health Technical Rule of Planning Method - NTS N°124-2016-MINSA-v01, 68.4% of women of 15 to 49 years old currently live-in partners (married or cohabitants) use some family planning method.

For the year 2023, among the methods used outstood those of temporary (56.9%) such as the injection (19.5%) and male condom (11.5%). Meanwhile, 11.5% of women currently live-in partners stated they use some definitive method; it means, female (11.0%) or male (5.0%) sterilization.