Who Needs Organized Family Planning Services? A Preliminary Projection, 1971-1975

Abstract

The authors try to estimate the numbers and characteristics of individuals who need assistance in preventing unwanted births. Those in need have been divided into married and unmarried persons either not able to purchase or for some other reason (called access reasons) utilize family planning services. Nearly 6 million people in need and between 2.5 and 4.2 million nonpoor people with an access problem in attaining services have been estimated. The people in need represent 20.1% of all women (ages 15-44) and this figure is used to calculate minimum need for family planning from 1971 to 1975. The estimate for the number of unmarried unpoor women who are sexually active and have access problems to effective means of contraception is 2.7 million. For 1971-1975 projections a comparable proportion is used. In this 5 year period the proportion of married couples who will use sterilization as a method of birth control is estimated to increase from 8% to 15%. This will have an obvious impact on program operations.