The Impact of Family Planning on Fertility in a Rural Area of East Pakistan

• Published in: Demography Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 569 - 575
• Main Authors: Stoeckel, John E., Choudhury, Moqbul A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States The Population Association of America 01-01-1967; Population Association of America
• Subjects: Age groups; Birth control; Birth rates; Depopulation; Family planning; Intrauterine devices; Pilot studies; Pregnancy; Pregnancy rate; Rural populations
• ISSN: 0070-3370; 1533-7790
• DOI: 10.2307/2060300

This paper evaluates a family planning pilot project conducted by the Pakistan Academy for Rural Development in Comilla, East Pakistan. The evaluation is based upon an analysis of the extent to which adoption of conventional contraceptives (condoms and foam tablets) has reduced fertility in selected villages of the Comilla-Kotwali precinct, during the years 1962-66. The study was carried out by comparing adopter and non-adopter rates of pregnancy and analyzing the trends in pregnancy reduction that resulted from adoption. The findings indicate that (1) although the pregnancy rate of adopters has increased steadily throughout the time period, in 1966 the rate is still less than half of what was expected had adoption not occurred; (2) contraceptive use-effectiveness decreases with length of time of use; and (3) pregnancy reduction has been declining since 1964.