Bangladesh 1993-1994 Demographic and Health ... - Measure DHS

Table 4.13 Reason for using current method of family planningPercent distribution of current users of family planning by main reason they decided to use the method, according to specificmethods, Bangladesh 1993-94Contraceptive methodFemale Malesterili- sterili- Periodic With-Re,on Pill IUD Injection Condom zation zation abstinence drawal Other TotalFamily planning workerrecommended 3.0 8.3 5.6 1.8 3.1 1.1 1.5 0.9 0.0 3.1Friend, relative recommended 3.8 6.2 1.6 3.1 2.9 10.8 3.9 2.9 9.7 3.7Side effects of othermethods 26.5 40.2 41.4 55.5 4.8 0.0 53.0 51.7 43.1 30.4Method easy to use 39.7 28.9 36.4 15.6 1.3 0.0 21.8 l 1.0 7.3 24.7Access/Availability 13.2 1.5 2.9 3.1 0.8 1.0 1.1 0.9 6.2 6.2Cost 0.2 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.1 0.2Wanted permanent method 0.4 3.0 2.3 0.0 74.2 45.1 0.1 0.0 15.1 16.0Husband preferred 10.4 6.0 5.5 18.6 8,5 36.6 13.5 27.0 8.9 11.7Wanted more effectivemethod I.l 3.3 2.6 0.5 1.2 0.0 0.2 1.0 3.2 1.3Other 1.4 2.2 1.7 1.S 2.6 ,1.5 4.8 4.1 3.5 2.4Don't know/Missing 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.4 1.0 0.1 0.5 1.0 0.3Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100,0Number of users 1560 196 404 269 766 98 434 220 96 4045Reasons for selecting methods vary by method. As expected, pill users are most likely to say that theychose the pill because it was easy to use (40 percent), although one-quarter say that side effects of othermethods led them to choose the pill. Other reasons cited by pill users are availability of the method (13percent) and husband's preference for the method (10 percent). The main masons that users of the IUD,injection, and periodic abstinence selected their methods are side effects of other methods and the ease ofusing their methods. Not surprisingly, women who have been sterilized and those whose husbands have beensterilized are most likely to say they chose the method because it was pcrmanent. Over one-third of womenwhose husbands were sterilized said that their husband's preference for the operation was the main masonfor choosing it. Although the majority of condom and withdrawal users said that the possible side effects ofother methods influenced them to use their current method, husband's preference was also an importantreason.It is interesting to note that substantial proportions of contraceptive users choose their method not somuch because of the advantages of that method, but because of the perceived problems with using othermethods. For these women, selection of a method becomes a process of eliminating the less desirableoptions. Ease of use, is of course, another major criterion in method selection. The fact that husband'spreference is also commonly cited indicates that husbands are often involved in making decisions about useof family planning.4.8 Pill UseUse of the pill has incmasod tremendously over the past decade. It now accounts for 40 percent of alluse and half of all modem method use. Because of the importance of the pill, the BDHS included a numberof special questions about pill use including the brand ofpiU used, the quality of pill use, and the cost of pills.52