Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Table 5.17 shows that 18 percent of non-usersreported that they had visited a health facility and discussedfamily planning. Staff at health facilities aremore likely to discuss family planning with women age20-44 than with women age 15-19 and 45-49.The proportion of non-users who visited ahealth facility and discussed family planning is highestin Eastern province (27 percent), followed by Southern(19 percent) and Central provinces (18 percent), and islowest in Western province (13 percent).Education level does not seem to have a greatimpact on the likelihood of women non-users visiting ahealth facility and discussing family planning.5.17 DISCUSSION ABOUT FAMILY PLANNING WITHHUSBANDAlthough discussion of family planning betweenhusband and wife is not a precondition for adoptionof contraception, its absence may be an impedimentto use. Inter-spousal communication is thus animportant intermediate step along the path to eventualadoption and especially continuation of contraceptiveuse. Lack of discussion may reflect a lack of personalinterest, hostility to the subject, or customary reticencein talking about sex-related matters. To explore thissubject, women interviewed in the 2001-2002 ZDHSwere asked the number of times they discussed familyplanning with their husband in the 12 months precedingthe survey.Table 5.17 Contact of non-users with familyplanning providersPercentage of women who are not using contraceptionwho visited a health facility and discussedfamily planning in the 12 months preceding thesurvey, by background characteristics, Zambia 2001-2002––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Women whovisited a healthfacility anddiscussed NumberBackground family ofcharacteristic planning women––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Age15-19 5.9 1,62820-24 19.9 1,24825-29 28.6 92830-34 27.9 60735-39 20.4 52640-44 21.9 43045-49 9.7 405ResidenceUrban 16.0 2,148Rural 18.7 3,622ProvinceCentral 18.2 460Copperbelt 17.9 1,093Eastern 26.5 722Luapula 14.3 485Lusaka 15.0 750Northern 17.0 811North-Western 15.0 277Southern 18.6 619Western 13.2 553EducationNo education 16.5 759Primary 18.0 3,419Secondary 17.6 1,461Higher 18.6 131Total 17.7 5,770Table 5.18 provides information for currentlymarried women who know of at least one contraceptivemethod about the number of times family planning wasdiscussed with their husbands in the past year accordingto age. The 2001-2002 ZDHS data indicate that 37 percentof women reported having discussed family planningwith their husband once or twice, and about 33 percent discussed family planning with their husbandat least three times. Less than one-third (29 percent) never discussed family planning with their husbandsin the past year. Women age 35-39 are the most likely to report frequent discussions (3 or more times)with their husbands (40 percent), while women 15-19 are least likely (16 percent).Fertility Regulation │ 89