Ignorance of Family Planning Methods in India: An Important Constraint on Use

Interviews wih women in six villages in India and with educated, working women selected to be trained as interviewers in five states, and evidence from formal studies are discussed to support the conclusions that (1) the low overall rates of contraceptive use in India are at least partly due to low levels of knowledge about different methods of birth control, especially of the modern reversible methods; and (2) the low use of all methods except sterilization is a good proxy for lack of knowledge about these methods. It is suggested that, both in the interests of achieving demographic targets and in the interests of the clientele of the family planning program, much greater emphasis must be placed on spreading practical information about reversible contraception. The information dissemination activities of the program so far have tended to concentrate on the why of family planning and neglect the how, except in promoting sterilization.