Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 - Timor-Leste Ministry of ...

Use increases with parity but with little difference among women with 1, 2, or 3 children
(about 3 percent each). Nine percent of all women first used a method of family planning when they
had four or more children. Younger women report first use of contraception at lower parities than
older women, suggesting a shift toward the early use of contraception and the desire to delay
childbearing among younger Timorese women. For example, 9 percent of women age 25-29 first used
contraception when they had 2 children compared with 2 percent of women age 45-49.
Table 5.6 Number of children at first use of contraception
Percent distribution of women age 15-49 by number of living children at the time of first use of contraception,
according to current age, Timor-Leste 2009-10
Current age Never used
Number of living children at time of first use of contraception
0 1 2 3 4+ Missing
Total
Number of
women
15-19 99.2 0.2 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 100.0 3,144
20-24 90.2 0.1 4.1 3.5 1.6 0.4 0.0 100.0 2,343
25-29 73.3 0.1 4.5 8.7 6.8 6.5 0.1 100.0 1,897
30-34 66.8 0.3 5.6 4.3 6.1 16.6 0.3 100.0 1,534
35-39 66.2 0.2 3.5 2.4 5.8 21.8 0.1 100.0 1,684
40-44 67.2 0.4 3.7 3.1 5.2 20.4 0.0 100.0 1,388
45-49 76.7 0.2 1.8 2.0 2.7 16.5 0.0 100.0 1,146
Total 80.5 0.2 3.1 3.2 3.5 9.4 0.1 100.0 13,137
5.8 KNOWLEDGE OF FERTILE PERIOD
An elementary knowledge of
reproductive physiology provides a
useful background for the successful
practice of the rhythm method. As shown
in Tables 5.1, 5.3.1 and 5.4, respectively,
13 percent of all women and 17 percent
of currently married women have heard
of the rhythm method, but only 1 percent
of currently married women have ever
used the rhythm method, and less than
half a percent are currently using the
method. Table 5.7 shows respondents’
knowledge about the time during the
menstrual cycle when a woman is most
likely to get pregnant.
Table 5.7 Knowledge of fertile period
Percent distribution of women age 15-49 by knowledge of the fertile
period during the ovulatory cycle, according to current use of the rhythm
method, Timor-Leste 2009-10
Perceived fertile period
Users of
rhythm
method
Nonusers of
rhythm
method All women
Just before her menstrual
period begins (25.2) 4.7 4.8
During her menstrual period
Right after her menstrual
(0.0) 3.3 3.3
period has ended
Halfway between two
(38.5) 46.2 46.2
menstrual periods (19.7) 9.5 9.6
Other (0.0) 0.0 0.0
No specific time (15.3) 17.5 17.5
Don’t know (1.2) 18.7 18.6
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number of women 44 13,093 13,137
Note: Figures in parentheses are based on 25-49 unweighted cases.
Overall, only one in ten women
correctly reported the most fertile time as
being halfway between two menstrual periods. Nearly one in two women (46 percent) incorrectly
reported that a woman’s most fertile period is right after menstruation has ended; one in five women
each mentioned that there was no specific time when a woman is most fertile or that she did not know
when a woman is most fertile. The small number of users of the rhythm method makes it difficult for
any meaningful analysis of knowledge among rhythm users. The limited knowledge of when a woman
is most fertile indicates that there is much scope for educating women and men on female physiology.
Current teaching on reproductive physiology and anatomy is limited in Timor-Leste, although this is
undergoing curriculum development and review. The very high levels of misconception regarding the
occurrence of the woman’s most fertile period also represent a real challenge to those not using a
modern method of contraception and not wishing to become pregnant. This also has implications for
Timor-Leste’s high teenage pregnancy rates.
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