Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

POSTPARTUM EXPOSUREPOSTPARTUM AMENORRHEA, ABSTINENCE, AND INSUSCEPTIBILITYStatistics: Percentage of Births in the Three Years Preceding the Survey for Which MothersAre a) Postpartum Amenorrheic, b) Abstaining from Sexual Intercourse andc) Insusceptible to Pregnancy, by Number of Months Since BirthDefinitionA. Coverage:1. Population base: All births within 0 to 35 months before the survey.2. Time period: Current status at the time of the survey (interview date).B. Numerators:1. Number of births at specified times before the survey for which the mother is postpartumamenorrheic (i.e., her menstrual period has not resumed since the birth).2. Number of births at specified times before the survey for which the mother is postpartumabstaining (i.e., mother has not resumed sexual intercourse since the birth)3. Number of births at specified times before the survey for which the mother is eitherpostpartum amenorrheic or abstaining.C. Denominator: Number of births at specified times before survey.CalculationA. Numerators:1. Number of last births, grouped by two-month intervals before the survey, as determined bydifference in interview date and birth date (in CMC), where the mother is amenorrheic sincethe birth. For last birth, amenorrhea status is from the mother’s report of her status at the timeof the interview. (For all other births, the mother is assumed not to be amenorrheic since thebirth.)2. Number of last births, grouped by two-month intervals before the survey, as determined bydifference in interview date and birth date (in CMC), where the mother has abstained fromsexual intercourse since the birth. For last birth, abstinence status is from the mother’s reportof her status at the time of the interview. (For all other births, the mother is assumed not tohave been abstaining since the birth.)3. Number of last births, grouped by two-month intervals before the survey, as determined bydifference in interview date and birth date (in CMC), where the mother is either amenorrheicor has abstained from sexual intercourse since the birth. For last birth, insusceptibility is fromthe mother’s report of her amenorrhea and sexual abstinence status at the time of theinterview. (For all other births, the mother is assumed not to have been insusceptible since thebirth.)Guide to DHS Statistics 73 Updated September 2006