A quantitative, descriptive study sought to identify the socio-demographic, reproductive and social protection conditions of women in a large city in Brazil. The target population consisted of women living in Curitiba with the last of five or more children born in the year 2005, identified by the registration system of newborn babies. Interviews in households were carried out with 441 women from 2006 to 2008 using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data obtained from the study were presented in tables with absolute and relative frequencies, averages and standard deviations. The following profile was derived from the results: migrant women from the state interior, living for over ten years in the capital, coming from large families, with a mean age of 35 years and five years of schooling, with more than one marriage, living in consensual union, underemployed, with an average income of around US$ 352 to cover the needs of seven or more dependents. This profile clearly confirms the social vulnerability of these women and their families. The study concludes that a proactive search by family health teams for women with high fertility, in order to prioritize their needs, would assist in reducing their social and health inequalities.
Fertility rate; Reproductive rights; Social vulnerability
