Demographic and Health Surveys Methodology - Measure DHS

NEED FOR FAMILY PLANNING—NOT CURRENTLY MARRIEDWOMEN AND ALL WOMENStatistics: Percentages of Women Who Are Not Currently Married and Women of AllMarital Statuses with a) Unmet Need for Family Planning, b) With Met Need forFamily Planning, and c) By Total Demand for Family Planning, According toWhether for Spacing, for Limiting, and TotalDefinitionA. Coverage:1. Population base: Women who are not currently married and all women.2. Time period: Time of survey.Fecundity—A woman is assumed to be fecund unless she declares that she is infecund, had ahysterectomy, or is menopausic. Also considered infecund is a woman who is neither pregnantnor postpartum amenorrheic but who has not had a menstruation for six or more months. Alsoinfecund are women who while married and not using contraception during the past five yearshave not had a birth and are not currently pregnant.B. Numerators: Number of women with an unmet need for contraception.1. For spacing—Number of women who are not using a method of contraception, had sexualintercourse in the 30 days or 4 weeks preceding the survey (depending on whether response isin days or weeks), anda) Are fecund and say they want to wait two or more years for their next birth, orb) Are fecund and are unsure whether they want another child, orc) Are fecund, want another child but are unsure when to have the birth, and say that apregnancy in the next few weeks would be a problem, ord) Are pregnant not due to a contraceptive failure and say that the pregnancy was mistimed(would have wanted to wait), ore) Are postpartum amenorrheic within six months of the birth and say that the birth wasmistimed (would have wanted to wait).2. For limiting—Number of women who are not using a method of contraception, have hadsexual intercourse in the 30 days or 4 weeks preceding the survey (depending on whetherresponse is in days or weeks), anda) Are fecund and say they do not want any more children, orb) Are pregnant not due to a contraceptive failure and say that they did not want to becomepregnant, orGuide to DHS Statistics 82 Updated September 2006