An analysis of the causes for avoiding contraception among Chinese women
Chen, Y.
Chinese Journal of Population Science 4(4): 357-365
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 1044-8403 PMID: 12318215 Document Number: 269461
The contraception avoidance rate (CAR) among Chinese women was examined based on data from the 1982 and 1988 National Sample Survey of Fertility on Contraception. CAR tends to be lower in China than in other Asian or developed countries. There were 4 reasons for avoidance reported in the sample survey of 1982; 10 reasons were reported in 1988. Menopause was the only reason in common between both surveys: 15.23% of women reported it in 1982 and 15.95% in 1988; the difference was the decline in CAR and the influence of the age composition of married and fertile women. The highest percentage of women avoiding contraception are aged 20-24 years followed by those aged 25-29 years (19.12%) and those aged 45-49 years (16.93%). Other reported reasons for CAR were breast feeding, awaiting pregnancy, and pregnancy among women aged 35-39 years. CAR women without children comprise 30.84%, those with one child 29.82%, those with two children 15.31%, and those with three children 8.87%. 7.63% of women with four children and 8.14% of women with five children avreturnntraception. A comparison of CAR totals by age shows that the percentages are very similar by age group for 1982 and 1988. The number of CAR women diminishes as the number of children increases, but CAR varies widely among women with sons and daughters. CAR is lower for women with one son (25.62%) than for those with one daughter (33.23%). Gender preference accounts for these differences; since 1984 the provinces of Jiangsu and Sichuan have allowed women with one female child to have another child. The major impacts on CAR are the age composition of fertile women, the age-specific marriage rate among fertile women, and age-specific CAR among married and fertile women. Standardization of CARs suggests that contraception is being practiced more prevalently since the implementation of the current family planning program. Future declines are expected.