A Comparison of Sterilization Use and Demand From the Demographic and Health Surveys

Abstract

Data from 26 countries that participated in the 1st phase of the Demographic and Health Surveys show that the percentage of couples who rely on sterilization and the proportion of total contraceptive use accounted for by sterilization are rising in Asia Latin America and a few countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As of the mid-1980s more than 25% of married women of childbearing age were relying on sterilization (either female or male) in Brazil the Dominican Republic El Salvador Sri Lanka and Thailand. While sterilization rates are still modest in most of sub-Saharan Africa 2 countries--Botswana and Kenya--have a sterilization prevalence rate of 5%. Approximately half the demand for contraception to limit family size has been satisfied by female sterilization in the Dominican Republic El Salvador Sri Lanka and Thailand. In Bolivia Botswana Egypt Indonesia Kenya Morocco Peru and Trinidad and Tobago where sterilization programs are new or not a major component of family planning services one-fourth or less of the demand for contraception has been met by sterilization. Among women who said they would prefer sterilization as their future method 80% or more in 13 of the 16 countries for which data are available could name a source of sterilization. In 11 of 17 countries one-third or more of the women who said they would consider sterilization had never used a modern method of contraception. In 10 of the 17 countries more than 50% of women considering sterilization live in rural areas and in all 17 the majority of women considering sterilization have only a primary school education. (authors) (summaries in SPA ENG)