Tapping the Untapped: Huge Potential to Increase Family Planning Users in India

Abstract

India’s family planning programs have historically focused on limiting the number of children but in recent years focus has shifted from limiting births to increased spacing between children, especially among young couples on contraceptive acceptance in the post-partum period. This paper examines the behavior of couples in India on acceptance of contraceptives during the postpartum period by using data from the National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3, 2005-06) and from a small scale survey in state of Chhattisgarh in India. According to the data, approximately 75 percent of women with children under a year and 83 percent of women with children under six months’ old reported not using any contraception. Only 0.9 percent of postpartum women reported acceptance of intrauterine contraceptive devices. The primary reasons cited for not using contraception were breast feeding (27.5 percent) and postpartum amenorrhea (16.9 percent). Education and wealth index and program factor specially interaction with health workers during post-partum period and institutional delivery had a significant effect on acceptance of contraceptives during the postpartum period. Achieving one’s desired family size also positively influenced women’s acceptance of family size soon after delivery. Small scale survey in Chhattisgarh also suggested that acceptance of family planning to space children is not high.