Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

d) Traditional methods: The number of women who say they currently use one of thefollowing methods: periodic abstinence (rhythm, calendar method), withdrawal (coitusinterruptus) and country-specific traditional methods of proven effectiveness.e) Folk methods: The number of women who say they currently use at least one locallydescribed methods and spiritual methods of unproven effectiveness, such as herbs,amulets, gris-gris, etc.In the latest version of the DHS tabulations, both traditional methods and folk methods havebeen grouped under the heading traditional methods.C. Denominator: The denominators are the numbers of women in the coverage categories.CalculationWithin each coverage category, the numerator divided by the denominator, expressed as a percentage.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 (not sexually active).B. Numerators: Treated as does not use any method for individual methods and grouped methods.C. Denominators: All women in coverage category included, even if missing values on current useof methods.Notes and ConsiderationsBreastfeeding, prolonged breastfeeding, and 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.Each respondent defines current use of contraception. While some methods such as sterilization, pill,IUD, injectables, implants, and LAM involve continuous protection, other methods are coital-specific,requiring use during intercourse, such as condoms, vaginal methods, periodic abstinence, and withdrawal.Current use for coital-specific methods is a difficult concept since it may mean use at last intercourse,which could have been a long time before the interview or intention to use at next intercourse.Guide to DHS Statistics 45 Updated September 2006