News | Women use contraception to choose when, not whether, to have children
The spread of modern contraception in low- and middle-income countries has prompted a long-running question: are use rates rising because women increasingly do not want children, or because they have greater control over timing?
A large study led by the Institute for Population Research at The Ohio State University found that increased contraceptive use mainly reflects greater success in meeting fertility goals, not a broad decline in the desire for children.
Lead author and postdoctoral researcher Mobolaji Ibitoye said, “We found that 85% to 90% of the change in contraceptive use occurred because contraception better met women's need to control fertility. Only 10%–15% was related to more women not wanting children.”
In other words, widespread use is about choosing when to have children, not rejecting parenthood.
Fifty years of data from 59 countries: fertility desires changed little
Published June 21, 2022, in Studies in Family Planning, the study analyzed surveys from 59 low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia from the 1970s through 2020.
It drew on five major fertility-survey programs, including the World Fertility Surveys and Demographic Health Surveys. Each country contributed at least two national surveys eight or more years apart. Women of reproductive age reported contraceptive use and whether and when they wanted children.
Most surveys asked how soon participants wanted to become pregnant. Researchers grouped them as wanting pregnancy soon, wanting to delay it, or wanting no more children, then modeled whether changes in contraceptive use tracked changes in fertility intentions.
The results showed that rates rose not because more women said they wanted no children, but because more could say, “not now, perhaps later.”
The contraceptive revolution: freedom to choose, not a major shift in fertility desires
Co-author John Casterline, an Ohio State sociology professor, said the results were clearer than expected and contradicted the conventional view that people use contraception because they do not want children.
Casterline said the “contraceptive revolution” associated with the spread of pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) in the 1960s meant that modern methods finally let women achieve their intentions rather than accept circumstances.
“The real revolution is that modern contraception finally lets women achieve what they want instead of being forced to accept circumstances.”
“It is not ‘not wanting children,’ but being able to choose when to have them. That is a major global-health achievement.”
Some contraceptive users want children soon
Ibitoye added, “About 10%–15% of the growth in contraceptive use came from women who said they wanted to become pregnant within two years.”
This further supports the conclusion that rising use reflects control and planning over reproductive timing.
The study accounted for the number of existing children and found that it did not significantly change the overall trend.
From restriction to empowerment
The study's significance extends beyond its data: with resources, technology, and information, women can actively manage fertility rather than passively avoid or undergo pregnancy.
As countries invest in reproductive health, the team urged greater focus on access to and quality of contraceptive services, not only on changes in fertility rates.
News | Women use contraception to choose when, not whether, to have children
News | Women use contraception to choose when, not whether, to have children
The spread of modern contraception in low- and middle-income countries has prompted a long-running question: are use rates rising because women increasingly do not want children, or because they have greater control over timing?
A large study led by the Institute for Population Research at The Ohio State University found that increased contraceptive use mainly reflects greater success in meeting fertility goals, not a broad decline in the desire for children.
Lead author and postdoctoral researcher Mobolaji Ibitoye said, “We found that 85% to 90% of the change in contraceptive use occurred because contraception better met women's need to control fertility. Only 10%–15% was related to more women not wanting children.”
In other words, widespread use is about choosing when to have children, not rejecting parenthood.
Fifty years of data from 59 countries: fertility desires changed little
Published June 21, 2022, in Studies in Family Planning, the study analyzed surveys from 59 low- and middle-income countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia from the 1970s through 2020.
It drew on five major fertility-survey programs, including the World Fertility Surveys and Demographic Health Surveys. Each country contributed at least two national surveys eight or more years apart. Women of reproductive age reported contraceptive use and whether and when they wanted children.
Most surveys asked how soon participants wanted to become pregnant. Researchers grouped them as wanting pregnancy soon, wanting to delay it, or wanting no more children, then modeled whether changes in contraceptive use tracked changes in fertility intentions.
The results showed that rates rose not because more women said they wanted no children, but because more could say, “not now, perhaps later.”
The contraceptive revolution: freedom to choose, not a major shift in fertility desires
Co-author John Casterline, an Ohio State sociology professor, said the results were clearer than expected and contradicted the conventional view that people use contraception because they do not want children.
Casterline said the “contraceptive revolution” associated with the spread of pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs) in the 1960s meant that modern methods finally let women achieve their intentions rather than accept circumstances.
“The real revolution is that modern contraception finally lets women achieve what they want instead of being forced to accept circumstances.”
“It is not ‘not wanting children,’ but being able to choose when to have them. That is a major global-health achievement.”
Some contraceptive users want children soon
Ibitoye added, “About 10%–15% of the growth in contraceptive use came from women who said they wanted to become pregnant within two years.”
This further supports the conclusion that rising use reflects control and planning over reproductive timing.
The study accounted for the number of existing children and found that it did not significantly change the overall trend.
From restriction to empowerment
The study's significance extends beyond its data: with resources, technology, and information, women can actively manage fertility rather than passively avoid or undergo pregnancy.
As countries invest in reproductive health, the team urged greater focus on access to and quality of contraceptive services, not only on changes in fertility rates.
Source:
Collected online