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- Title
Modernizing Family Planning.
- Authors
Donaldson, Peter J.
- Abstract
This article looks at the history and evolution of family planning. A revolution in reproductive behavior has taken place across much of the developing world. During the 1970s, women of many developing countries gave birth to an average of six or more children during their reproductive lives. As of July 1988, the average is closer to four children. Increased contraceptive use by married women has caused declines in fertility, but it is not the only reason for them. Marriage occurring at later ages has significantly determined lower fertility in several places. In Bangladesh, for example, the proportion of married teenagers aged fifteen to nineteen declined from 92 percent in 1961 to 76 percent in 1974. Other countries experienced similar changes. Marrying at older ages is sometimes due to an increase in the education of women, sometimes to greater female employment, and sometimes to a lack of marriage opportunities because of economic or political conditions. The transformation of reproductive behavior, although evident among women in every region of the world, has not occurred in every developing country. The significant decline in fertility in developing countries as a whole is due to large declines in fertility in a small number of countries, much more modest decreases in other countries, and no changes at all or even increases in childbearing in some African countries.
- Subjects
BIRTH control; POPULATION policy; CONTRACEPTION; HUMAN fertility; HUMAN reproduction; MARRIED women
- Publication
Society, 1988, Vol 25, Issue 5, p11
- ISSN
0147-2011
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/BF02695736