Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Figure 5.2 Trends in Current Use of Specific ContraceptiveMethods among Currently Married Women Age 15-49,Zambia 1992-200214 Percent 1992 1996 2001-20021212108642047100015442 2Pill IUD Injectables Condoms Femalesterilisation2 2 211Natural familyplanning5 53Withdrawal5.6 NUMBER OF CHILDREN AT FIRST USE OF CONTRACEPTIONFamily planning may be used to either limit family size or delay the next birth. Couples usingfamily planning as a means to control family size (i.e., to stop having children) adopt contraception whenthey have already had the desired number of children they want. When contraception is used to spacebirths, couples may start to use family planning earlier with an intention to delay a possible pregnancy.This may be done even before a couple has had their desired number of children. In a culture wheresmaller family size is becoming a norm, young women adopt family planning at an earlier age than theirolder counterparts.Women interviewed in the 2001-2002 ZDHS were asked how many children they had at the timethey first used a method of family planning. Table 5.7 shows the percent distribution of women who haveever used contraception by number of living children at the time of first use of contraception, according tocurrent age. The results show that Zambian women are gradually adopting family planning at earlier ages.Among older women, those who ever used contraception tended to start only when they had atleast three or four children. In contrast, younger users tend to start when they had only one child or none.For example, half of women 15-19 who have used contraception started before they had any children.Data from the 2001-2002 ZDHS indicate that among women who have been sterilised, themedian age of sterilisation is 35 years. Almost half of women get the operation at age 35-39, withanother one-fourth having the operation at age 30-35 (data not shown).78 │ Fertility Regulation