ABSTRACT
A few days after the family planning campaign has ended, I pass by Thanh's small house again. I wonder how effective Nhu-'ng has been in her attempt to persuade Thanh to have an IUD - did she actually go to the health station that afternoon to have another IUD inserted, and if so, how does she feel now? As I arrive, Thanh is washing a large pile of clothes in a battered tub behind the house, her hair hidden in a faded flowery scarf, her thin body bent. It is a good day for washing; the weather is milder than it has been for weeks, the sunshine is reflected in the puddles in the yard, and birds are twittering. I put my bag on the ground and help Thanh hang out the clothes to dry, thinking how difficult it must be for the children to keep warm in these thin polyester shirts and torn sweaters.
