Contraceptive Use Dynamics in India: Panel Study of Modern Spacing Contraceptive Users

© 2013 Chelsea Hedquist, Courtesy of Photoshare

The use of modern contraceptive methods has steadily increased in India, from 33% in 1992-93 to 48% in 2007-08, but remains heavily skewed towards female sterilization, with close to 3 out of 4 (72%) married modern contraceptive users choosing this method. As laid out in its FP2020 commitment, India is looking to expand its method mix to include a greater reliance on modern spacing methods and postpartum IUCD.  Discontinuation rates for these methods remain high, however, and less than 10% of users who discontinue switch to a different FP method.

The Evidence Project/Population Council is undertaking a study to explore the reasons for discontinuation and method switching (or non-switching), from both the user’s and the provider’s perspective. The evidence generated from this study inform the development of family planning programs that meet the needs of India’s women and couples, and will help achieve the goal of 48 million new FP users by 2020.