Trends and Factors Associated with the Use of Traditional Methods of Family Planning in South and Southeast Asian Countries

Limited research has examined trends and determinants of use of traditional methods of family planning (FP) in South Asia (SA) and Southeast Asia (SEA). This study analyzes data from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1990 and 2026 across 12 countries in these regions-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. Over the past three decades, the use of traditional FP methods in the pooled sample of 12 countries increased from 4.2 percent in the early 1990s to 8.8 percent in 2022, a pattern also noted in pooled samples of both SA and SEA countries. At the country level, most notable increases in traditional method use occurred in Cambodia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan-three of which are located in SA. Across the pooled sample, as well as region-specific samples, higher use was noted among women having any formal schooling, those whose husbands/partners had five or more years of schooling, and urban residents compared to their respective counterparts. Policies that focus solely on modern methods or on transitioning users from traditional to modern methods may not align with the evolving preferences of women in the region.