Reproductive Health Among Orang Hulu Women in Peninsular Malaysia

In this ethnographic study, I document the reproductive realities for Indigenous Orang Hulu women of reproductive age in rural Malaysia. My findings indicate that from menarche to pregnancy, Orang Hulu women’s reproductive agency and access to biomedical healthcare is limited. Their menstruation, contraceptive use and pregnancy choices are structured through Indigenous understandings and the reproductive governance of the Malaysian state. Young women with limited access to biomedical information or services must make reproductive choices while navigating the structural violence caused by marginalization, restrictive policies and negative attitudes towards Indigenous Malaysians. These limitations are examined within the local, national and international context of Indigenous women’s reproductive health.