Selection of a family planning method: a Philippine example.

Abstract

The sample under consideration in this study was composed of 3445 women who accepted some method of pregnancy prevention after consultation with the National Family Planning organization in the Republic of the Philippines. Subjects were divided into four groups: those women who used an oral contraceptive, women using the IUD, women practising the rhythm method, and those who relied on other methods of birth control.This study attempted to reveal sources of information on family planning and reasons for acceptance of a birth control method, as well as the woman's actual and ideal family size and the interval since her last pregnancy. In addition, the relationship between the woman's educational level and the type of technique selected and husband's occupation as a correlate of the method chosen were also investigated.The findings appear to suggest, among other things, that women near the end of the child-bearing years were less likely to select one of the more effective methods. Women with large families and those who reported the desire for no additional children tended to favour the more reliable techniques. Surprisingly, the two measures of status failed to reveal significant relationships with the selection of a given technique.