We conducted a population-based study of consanguineous marriages in Jordan. About two thousand households were interviewed. First cousin marriages were encountered in 32.03%, second cousin in 6.8%, distant relation in 10.5%, and no relation in 50% of all marriages, respectively. Inbreeding coefficients were compared with those of other countries. The most important variables affecting inbreeding were social tradition, religion, education, and place of residence--urban vs. rural. Secular trends appear rather stable since the early decades of the twentieth century, especially for first cousin marriages. Jordan society showed a deeply rooted traditional behavioral pattern when inbreeding is considered.

Women's health in the developing world should not be limited to measuring morbidity and mortality, but understanding why women may or may not seek care for their health complaints. This article explores what are the health complaints of midlife women and why women choose to seek health care for some complaints, but not for others. The intention here is to better understand what factors might be influencing these women's decisions, and what the health care system can do to address their needs. The percentage of women in this community seeking health care for their perceived health complaints *This study was supported by a Ford Foundation grant no. 960-1058.

Results suggest home-based pelvic examinations can be used in population-based studies for a comprehensive assessment of women's reproductive morbidities.