Demand for contraception in Brazil in 2006: contribution to the implementation of fertility preferences

This study aimed to estimate the demand for contraception in Brazil from the latest available data and identify possible associations between the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of women and the occurrence of this phenomenon. For this, we used data from the National Demographic and Health of Women and Children (PNDS) 2006 database and the estimation method reviewed by Bradley et al. (2012). Despite the high percentage of contraceptive use in Brazil, there was an estimated unmet fertility planning need in 8.3% of married/partnered women aged 15-49 years. That is, there was a specific group of women (at the beginning and end of their reproductive life, in the lower economic strata, evangelical and without religion) who wanted to have more children or have them later and failed to do so due to a lack of access to fertility regulation means. It was concluded that there was a negligible reduction in demand compared to 1996, which has reinforced the need to focus public investments to achieve lower unmet contraception demand differentials in the country and has guaranteed the implementation of the rights of reproductive preferences.