Pill Use in 20 Developing Countries: A Cross-Country Summary From the World Fertility Survey

The 1st cross national comparison of contraceptive use in 20 countries that have completed national fertility surveys in association with the World Fertility Survey shows the following: The proportion of women using the pill varies considerably ranging from less than 1% to more than 22% of currently married women of reproductive age. No distinctive regional patterns in pill use emerge from the comparison. In countries with strong government supported family planning programs levels of use by married women of modern contraceptive methods including the pill the IUD and sterilization are relatively high. In countries with weak family planning programs employment of these methods is minimal as is reliance on traditional methods. In most countries pill use is relatively low among young women who have not yet started to bear children. It then rises with increasing age and parity and begins to taper off when women are in their early 30s or after they have borne at least 3 children. (Authors) (Summary in FRE)