Contraceptive users in rural Bangladesh: a time trend analysis

An examination of the characteristics of contraceptive acceptors in a family planning program in rural Bangladesh revealed trends of declining age and number of living children among new acceptors. A time series analysis of the age-specific acceptance rates confirmed the observation, indicating that over time the program succeeded in attracting younger and low-parity women. The high use prevalence rates resulted in fertility levels that were 25 percent lower in the program area than in the comparison area. The decline in the fertility levels during the first program year was mainly due to a large decline in fertility among women over age 35, but in the second year, the contribution made by women 30-35 years old was substantial.