Legalization of consensual unions in Mexico

Abstract

There is ample evidence that there are important behavioral differences in Latin America between couples living in consensual unions and those who are legally married. In this paper, we examine the frequency of and variations in legalization of consensual unions in Mexico, using data from the 1976–77 Encuesta Mexicana de Fecundidad. Our results indicate that the frequency of legalization of consensual unions appears to have risen among recent cohorts. Women in first unions, those who start a union at older ages, and those who are more highly educated are also more likely to marry their partners. Our results also indicate that pregnancy does not appear to be a major factor precipitating legalization, and that whether a couple lived together before marriage has no effect on the stability of the marriage.     

Legalization of consensual unions in Latin America

Abstract

In Latin America conjugal unions take two forms, legal marriages and consensual unions. The distinction between these two types of unions is complicated by the fact that cohabiting couples often legalize their relationship through civil or religious marriage. This analysis examines legalization in rural areas of Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Costa Rica based on data from the PECFAL rural survey (1969). The results indicate that legalization is frequent in rural Latin America, especially among women who enter consensual unions after age 17 and who have some education. Surprisingly, there is little increase in the frequency of legalization for church‐attending Catholics or for women who have a pregnancy or birth within a consensual union. Consensual unions appear to serve a useful function as trial marriages since legalized unions are less likely to end in separation than are legal marriages without premarital cohabitation.     

Legalization of midwifery and the issue of home births.

The issue of legalization of midwifery is distinct from that of sanctioning of home births. Ontario should seriously consider establishing midwifery as an independent profession for nondomiciliary care. I hope that such a decision would not be considered in isolation from the rest of the health care system.     

Phenylketonuria mutations in Germany

We report the spectrum of mutations and associated modified haplotypes in patients with phenylketonuria living in Germany. A total of 546 independent alleles was investigated, including 411 of German and 65 of Turkish descent. Mutations were identified for 535 PKU alleles (98%) and there were 91 different mutations. The most common mutation was R408W on 22% of alleles. Two mutations, IVS12+1G→A and IVS10–11G→A accounted for just under 10% of alleles, whereas the remaining mutations were found at relative frequencies of 6% or less; 43 mutations were observed once only. IVS10–11G→A was the most common mutation (38% of alleles) in the subgroup of patients of Turkish descent. Modified haplotypes were determined from the analysis of four silent mutations, three diallelic restriction fragment length polymorphisms, a variable number of tandem repeats minisatellite and a short tandem repeat microsatellite in the phenylalanine hydroxylase gene, showing that a considerable proportion of mutations must have recurred in independent founders; other mutations may have changed chromosomal haplotype backgrounds by gene conversion. The spectrum of PKU mutations in Germany reflects the history of a heterogenous Central European population living at the crossroads of migration throughout the centuries. Received: 11 January 1999 / Accepted: 11 March 1999     

Energy U-turn in Germany

Following the disaster at Fukushima-Daiichi, chancellor Angela Merkel decided to speed up rather than slow down Germany's exit from nuclear power.