The use of traditional methods of contraception among Turkish couples

About half the users of contraceptives in Turkey employ traditional methods of family planning, particularly withdrawal. This report presents data from a 1988 national survey to examine Turkish couples' use of and opinions about these methods. Use of traditional methods is widespread across all geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic groups. The principal reasons reported for not using methods generally considered to be highly reliable were fear of health problems and side effects and the opposition of husbands to such methods. Most couples who practice withdrawal also feel that it is as effective as modern methods. These findings imply that a major focus of family planning efforts should be the education of women, of their partners, and of health-care and family planning providers concerning the benefits, risks, and failure rates of both traditional and modern contraceptive methods.