Determinants of contraceptive method choice in an industrial city of India

Even though India instituted the first national family planning programme in the world, its contraceptive prevalence rate is still relatively low. In 1980, a national survey estimated that 35 per cent of the currently married women aged 15-44 years were currently using contraceptives, of whom 63 per cent were using sterilization (Khan and Prasad, 1983, pp. 112, 120). As late as 1984-1985, close to the time our study was carried out, oflicial government estimates based on service statistics still showed only 36 per cent of the eligible couples as being currently protected (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, 1986, p. 14); of these, 70 per cent were using sterilization (Ibid., p. 187).