Contraceptive practices of women living in rural areas of Bihar
Kumari, C.
British Journal of Family Planning 24(2): 75-77
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0144-8625 PMID: 9719714 Document Number: 276623
Bihar, one of India's most populous states, has a population of approximately 94.9 million and a crude birth rate of 30.7/1000. At the time of India's 1994 National Family Health Survey, the state had a contraceptive prevalence rate of only 26%. 86.8% of Bihar state's population is rural. 972 sexually active, married women living in rural areas of Lalganj block of Vaishali district, Bihar state, were prospectively surveyed to learn about their contraceptive behavior and to use lessons learned to identify ways in which the family planning system should be improved. Study participants were recruited while attending the combined obstetric and gynecology clinic in Lalganj. Only 6.8% of the women used reversible forms of contraception such as the IUD, oral pills, and condoms. However, 20.6% of the women used tubal sterilization, the most commonly practiced method of contraception. The incidence of sterilization increased significantly as age increased; 11.6% of women aged 21-30 years had undergone the procedure, compared to 51% of women aged 31-40 years. Married women aged 15-20 years were using no contraception. In fact, no woman surveyed had used any contraception before her first pregnancy. 40.3% of women aged 21-30 years and 41.1% aged 31-40 had 2 or more living children, but used no contraception.