Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

Handling of Missing ValuesA. Coverage categorization: Missing value in whether or not currently married is allowed in the data.Missing value in sexual activity treated as had sexual relations (non-virgin). Missing value intime since last intercourse treated as greater than 30 days, i.e., not sexually active.B. Numerators: Treated as does not know or has not used method for individual methods andgrouped methods.C. Denominators: All women in coverage category included, even if missing values on all methods.Notes and ConsiderationsBreastfeeding, prolonged breastfeeding, prolonged abstinence are NOT contraceptive methods inthemselves. The lactational amenorrhea method is based on four criteria: Woman is amenorrheic sincelast birth; last birth occurred within six months; woman is exclusively or predominately breastfeeding;other form of contraception is necessary if any of the foregoing criteria does not hold. In the DHSdescription of LAM, only the following is used: “Up to 6 months after childbirth, a woman can use amethod that requires that she breastfeeds frequently, day and night, and that her menstrual period has notreturned.” This description varies from the official LAM criteria by not including exclusive orpredominant breastfeeding (which is based on whether or not the child received complementary liquidsand foods), substituting frequency of breastfeeding (it is not a requirement that frequent night-timefeeding occurs), and by not including the criterion that the woman knows that another form ofcontraception is necessary. The DHS description may therefore include women who say yes even thoughthey had never heard of the term LAM or of programs that instruct in the method, thus overestimatingknowledge and ever use.Changes over TimeThe list of specific methods and their categorization has changed.In DHS I and II surveys, modern methods included pill, IUD, injection, vaginal methods, condom, femalesterilization, and male sterilization. The vaginal methods included in a single group diaphragm, foam andjelly. Traditional methods included periodic abstinence (of any kind), withdrawal and all respondentmentionedother methods.In DHS III surveys, modern methods included pill, IUD, injection, vaginal methods, condom, femalesterilization, male sterilization, and implants. Traditional methods included periodic abstinence (of anykind), withdrawal, and lactational amenorrhea. Folk methods included respondent-mentioned othermethods and were categorized separately from traditional methods.Guide to DHS Statistics 43 Updated September 2006