Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS
Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS
Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS
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almost universal in <strong>Bangladesh</strong> for some time <strong>and</strong> the B<strong>DHS</strong> results confirm this fact. For example, resultsindicate that just slightly less than 100 percent of currently married women age 10-49 know at least onemethod of family planning. Knowledge of the pill, female sterilization, <strong>and</strong> injection is almost universal,while more than 4 out of 5 married women know the IUD, condom, <strong>and</strong> male sterilization. Consideringtraditional methods, periodic abstinence is more widely known than withdrawal (65 vs. 50 percent ofcurrently married women).Knowledge about sources of supply for family planning methods is also widespread in <strong>Bangladesh</strong>.Almost all currently married women are aware of a source of a modem method. Moreover, B <strong>DHS</strong> data revealthat there are no significant differences in knowledge of methods <strong>and</strong> their sources of supply by backgroundcharacteristics of currently married women. Knowledge of at least one method, particularly a modemmethod, is universal among both urban <strong>and</strong> rural women, among women in all five divisions, <strong>and</strong> across allcategories of educational attainment. These results regarding family planning knowledge imply that littlemore can be done to improve general awareness of methods <strong>and</strong> sources <strong>and</strong> that further education <strong>and</strong>communication activities should focus on either increasing motivation to use <strong>and</strong>/or increasing the depth ofknowledge of methods <strong>and</strong> dispelling rumors that may inhibit their wider use.Family Planning Messages. One reason for the high level of contraceptive awareness is that familyplanning messages are prevalent. Almost half o f the women interviewed reported that they had heard or secna family planning message in the month prior to the survey. Radio is a more effective medium thantelevision, billboards or posters, which is related to the limited electrical coverage <strong>and</strong> low female literacyin <strong>Bangladesh</strong>. Two in five women had heard a family planning message on the radio in the month beforethe interview, compared with less than one in five who had seen a message on television. Moreover, almostall women who had seen a family planning message on television had also heard a radio message. Less thanone in ten women saw a family planning message on a billboard or poster in the month before the interview.Initiation of Contraceptive Use, There is evidence that the family planning program has beensuccessful in encouraging women to initiate contraceptive use earlier in their reproductive lives. B<strong>DHS</strong> dataindicate that over 40 percent of married teenage women have already used a family planning method at sometime. Moreover, survey results show that younger women are much more likely than older women to havestarted using contraception before having any children. These two findings imply that young women aremore likely to use contraception to space births, while older women use it to limit births.Unmet Need for Family Planning. Unmet need for family planning services has declinedconsiderably since 1991. Data from 1991 show that 28 percent of currently married women were in need ofservices, compared with 19 percent in the <strong>1993</strong>-94 B<strong>DHS</strong>. Just over half of the unmet need is comprised ofwomen who want to space their next birth, while just under half is for women who want do not want anymore children (limiters). I f all women who say they want to space or limit their children were to use methods,the contraceptive prevalence rate could be increased from 45 percent to 65 percent of married women.Currently, 70 percent of this "total dem<strong>and</strong>" for family planning is being met.Correct Use of Pill. Pill users are generally complying with accepted st<strong>and</strong>ards for use. All but asmall fraction were able to show interviewers a pill packet, almost all of which indicated that the pills werebeing taken in sequence. Moreover, almost all pill users said they had taken a pill in the last two days <strong>and</strong>two-thirds knew what to do if they forgot to take a pill for two days.Discontlnuation Rates. One challenge for the family planning program is to reduce the high levelsof contraceptive discontinuation. B<strong>DHS</strong> data indicate that half of contraceptive users in <strong>Bangladesh</strong> stopusing within 12 months of starting; one-fifth of those who stop do so as a result of side effects or healthconcems with the method. Discontinuation rates vary by method. Not surprisingly, the rates for the condomxxiii