Childlessness, subfertility, and infertility in Tanzania
Larsen, U.
Studies in Family Planning 27(1): 18-28
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0039-3665 PMID: 8677520 DOI: 10.2307/2138074Document Number: 298956
The study examines the trends and variations in childlessness, subfertility, and infertility in Tanzania according to data from the 1973 National Demographic Survey and the 1991-92 Demographic and Health Survey. Between the surveys, the proportion of women older than 30 who were childless was found to have declined more than 60%, and the proportion with an open birth interval extending for longer than five years was reduced by 40 to 50% in each standard five-year age group from 20 to 39. Within Tanzania, both childlessness and infertility are higher among urban than among rural residents, and a substantial range prevails across eight rural zones. Finally, evidence suggests that the decline in impaired fertility has been followed by an increase in the total fertility rate. The difficulties of implementing population policies that aim simultaneously to control population growth and to improve women's health are discussed.