Sterilization decision: reasons for delay by acceptors in a Haryana village
Makhija, K.; Kumar, S.
Indian Journal of Maternal and Child Health Official Publication of Indian Maternal and Child Health Association 2(1): 25-27
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0970-8928 PMID: 12288705 Document Number: 338373
The objective of this study was to find out about the desired and actual number of children the acceptors of terminal methods of contraception had. The site was the headquarter village of the primary health center, Dayalpur in Faridabad District, Haryana, India, part of the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project. Out of 728 eligible couples, 236 were sterilized (142 tubectomies and 94 vasectomies). It was intended that all tubectomy patients and 50% of vasectomized men would be interviewed in their homes using a structured pretested questionnaire. Ultimately, 139 tubectomy and 42 vasectomy patients were successfully interviewed. The acceptors of terminal methods of contraception had an average of 4.27 children, whereas the average number of children desired was 2.74. There was a trend toward an increase in the average number of children after 1975 and a gradual decline after 1981. The reasons for having more children were fear (19.9%), indecision (16.0%), unfavorable attitude of others (12.2%), lack of knowledge (10.5%), and desire for a male child (9.9%). More than 90% of the sample wanted only 2 or 3 children. The average number of male and female children desired was 1.56 and 0.75, respectively, but in fact they had 2.46 male and 1.86 female children. All patients had 1 or more male children and 10% of them wanted to have more than 2 male children. About 30% wanted no female child and most of the rest wanted only 1 female child. The present population policy advocates the 2-child norm; however, the preference for male children may require the modification of this policy because a 1988 survey of 32,000 couples indicated that most of them wanted not only 3 or more children but also wanted 2 of them to be male.