Final Report (PDF, 2132K) - Measure DHS

Women who stated that they did not want to get pregnant in the next few weeks were asked whythey were not using a method to avoid pregnancy. As is shown in Table 4.12, health concerns are themost common mason given for nonuse (27 percent); they are also the most common reason given whenwomen are asked about the main problem with each method (Fable 4.3 above). Lack of knowledge of amethod or of a source for obtaining a method (16 percent) is the next most common reason given.Disapproval of either the woman or her parmer was cited in 13 percent of cases. Less than 5 percent ofwomen gave reasons such as cost, religion, inconvenience, infrequent sexual activity, menopause, etc.Altogether, half of the women gave a reason for nonuse which could be addressed by family planningprogrammes, such as health concerns, lack of knowledge, cost, access, etc.There is little difference in the masons given by women under age 30 and those age 30 and over,except that older women are less likely to say that they do not know a method or a source and more likelyto say they or their partners are opposed to family planning.Table 4.12 ~ong Women Who Are Not Pregnant, Not UsingContraception, and Who Would Not Be Happy IfThey Became Pregnant, the Percent DistributionBy the Main Reason for Nonuse, According toAge, ODHS, 1986Under 30Reason for 30 orNon~se Years More TotalHealth Concerns 27.3 27.0 27.1Lacks Knowledge or Source 20.5 13.5 16.2Access/Availability I.i 0.7 0.9Costs Too Much 2.3 0.7 1.3Inconvenient to Use 4.5 4.3 4.4Opposed to Family Planning 5.7 9.9 8.3Partner Disapproves 3.4 6.4 5.2Religion 4.5 4.3 4.4Fatalistic 0.0 2.1 1.3Infrequent Sex 4.5 2.1 3.1Postpartum/Breastfeedlng 2.3 0.0 0.9Menopausal/Subfecund 0.0 5.0 3.1Other 8.0 13.5 11.4Don't Know 15.9 10.6 12.7Total i00.0 i00.0 i00.0Number 88 141 22939