Changing profile of IUD users in family planning clinics in rural Bangladesh

Abstract

In a rural area of Bangladesh, IUD acceptors in the 2 years prior to the introduction of a family planning health services program differed from the women who accepted IUDs following initiation of the program. The pre program acceptors were older, higher parity women who were using IUDs to terminate childbearing, in contrast to postprogram acceptors who were younger, lower parity women using the IUD for spacing the next pregnancy. Reasons for this difference are examined. A pronounced drop in the birth rate has resulted from the program.