One service leads to another…
Brown, Brenner
Receipt of prenatal care and previous use of a modern contraceptive are the most consistent factors predicting postpartum contraceptive use among women in Bolivia, Egypt and Thailand, according to an analysis based on Demographic and Health Survey data.1 The analysis, which controlled for women’s demographic and background characteristics, their desire for more children, and characteristics of their community, found that in all three countries, women who had previously used a modern method and those who had received prenatal care during their most recent pregnancy were significantly more likely than other women to adopt a modern method after they gave birth. The effects of both factors were strongest in Bolivia, the country with the lowest contraceptive prevalence (12%) and the lowest level of prenatal care use (47%). Given that previous contraceptive use also predicts receipt of prenatal care, the investigators conclude that access to multiple services through the formal health system can “encourage women to utilize both prenatal care and family planning advice and resources.”
Copyright Alan Guttmacher Institute Mar 2002
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