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Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

Zambia Demographic and Health Survey 2001-2002 - Measure DHS

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FERTILITY PREFERENCES AND UNMET NEED7FOR FAMILY PLANNINGMargaret T. Mwanamwenge <strong>and</strong> Richard B<strong>and</strong>aInformation on the fertility preferences of men <strong>and</strong> women provides family planning programmeswith an assessment of trends in ideals about family size, the prevailing need for contraception, <strong>and</strong> theextent of unwanted <strong>and</strong> mistimed pregnancies. Data on fertility preferences can also be useful as anindicator of future fertility trends.In the <strong>2001</strong>-<strong>2002</strong> Z<strong>DHS</strong>, women <strong>and</strong> men were asked a series of questions to ascertain theirfertility preferences, including their desire to have another child, the length of time they would like towait before having another child, <strong>and</strong> what they consider to be the ideal number of children. These datamake it possible to quantify fertility preferences <strong>and</strong>, in combination with data on contraceptive use,allow estimation of the unmet need for family planning, both for spacing <strong>and</strong> limiting births.Interpretation of results on fertility preferences is the subject of controversy since it is understoodthat respondents’ reported preferences are, in most cases, hypothetical <strong>and</strong> thus subject to change <strong>and</strong>rationalisation.7.1 DESIRE FOR MORE CHILDRENFigure 7.1 shows that 60 percent of all currently married women want to have another child, with21 percent wanting to have a child within 2 years <strong>and</strong> 37 percent of women preferring to wait for 2 ormore years. This indicates a potential need for family planning services for spacing. One-third of marriedwomen want no more children, while 4 percent are either sterilised or declared infecund.Figure 7.1 Fertility Preferences of Currently MarriedWomen 15-49Want another later(2 or more years) 37%Want another soon(within 2 years) 21%Sterilised 2%Declared infecund 2%Want another,undecided when 2%Undecided 3%Want no more 34%Z<strong>DHS</strong> <strong>2001</strong>-<strong>2002</strong>Fertility Preferences <strong>and</strong> Unmet Need │ 105

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