Medical termination of pregnancy and concurrent contraceptive adoption in rural India
Chhabra, S.; Gupte, N.; Mehta, A.; Shende, A.
Studies in Family Planning 19(4): 244-247
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0039-3665 PMID: 3176097 DOI: 10.2307/1966556Document Number: 375396
The study reports on 2755 women seeking medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) and concurrent contraceptive acceptance at a clinic in rural India from 1976-87. The level of contraceptive acceptance among married women seeking MTP over the period was 88.2%. Among married seeking MTP in their first trimester of pregnancy, 43.4% accepted the IUD as a method of contraception and 41.8% accepted sterilization. By contrast, only 11.5% of women in their second trimester accepted the IUD, but 70.2% accepted sterilization. 72% of the unmarried women and 43% of the married women seeking MTP were in their second trimester. Recommendations are made to: (1) combine contraceptive services and counselling with MTP whenever possible; (2) examine the consequences of policies that exclude unmarried women from contraceptive services; (3) investigate the reasons why so many women in this study sought MTP so late in pregnancy; and (4) obtain information on the determinants of contraceptive acceptance among women who seek MTP.