Family planning in Pakistan: an analysis of some factors constraining use

Family planning efforts by the Pakistan government were greatly expanded during its third Five-Year Plan (1965-70). Cross-sectional data obtained from the 1968-1969 IMPACT Survey are analyzed to determine the relative importance of demand and availability factors in explaining the response of Pakistani couples to the program's efforts. The findings indicate that the proportion of couples who express interest in controlling their fertility in the future is larger than the proportion who report current use of a family planning method. The analysis, however, shows that the program delivery system did not reach most of those who indicated they were potential users. When adequate availability was reported, family planning was adopted despite existing traditional social constraints; nonetheless, the analysis also points out that the potential of the program was severely limited by these constraints.