Family Planning in Bangladesh, 1969-1983

Abstract

Based on data from 2 Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys (carried out in 1979 and 1983) and from the National Impact Survey of Family Planning trends in contraceptive use in Bangladesh between 1969 and 1983 are examined. There was a steady increase in the use of contraceptive methods and this increase occurred in women of all subgroups. In the earlier years urban women and women with more education and women of high parity were those most likely to be using a contraceptive method. However in more recent years education and parity have been less strongly associated with the adoption of a method of fertility regulation. This finding suggests that even in the absence of any significant decline in the desire to stop childbearing Bangladesh will see a moderate acceleration in the pace of contraceptive adoption among women with small families and those with little education. It is concluded that a national family planning program even in a poor country like Bangladesh can initiate fertility control by meeting the latent demand for birth control services. (Authors modified)