Barriers to Fertility Regulation: A Review of the Literature

The evidence in the demographic and family planning literature of the range and diversity of the barriers to fertility regulation in many developing countries is reviewed in this article from a consumer perspective. Barriers are defined as the constraining factors standing between women and the real...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Studies in family planning 2006-06, Vol.37 (2), p.87-98
Main Authors: Campbell, Martha, Sahin-Hodoglugil, Nuriye Nalan, Potts, Malcolm
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abortion, Induced
Access to Information
Birth control
Child rearing
Communication
Constraints
Consumers
Contraception
Demographic research
Developing Countries
Evaluation
Family life
Family Planning
Family Planning Services
Family studies
Fear
Female
Female fertility
Fertility
Geography
Government regulation
Health
Health aspects
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Information
Laws, regulations and rules
LDCs
Oral contraceptives
Prejudice
Regulation
Reproductive health
Reproductive sterilization
Side effects
Survey data
Technology
Women
Women's health
Women's status
Womens health
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Summary:The evidence in the demographic and family planning literature of the range and diversity of the barriers to fertility regulation in many developing countries is reviewed in this article from a consumer perspective. Barriers are defined as the constraining factors standing between women and the realistic availability of the technologies and correct information they need in order to decide whether and when to have a child. The barriers include limited method choice, financial costs, the status of women, medical and legal restrictions, provider bias, and misinformation. The presence or absence of barriers to fertility regulation is likely an important determinant of the pace of fertility decline or its delay in many countries. At the same time, barriers inhibit women's ability to avoid unintended pregnancy. Problems of quantifying barriers limit understanding of their importance. New ways to quantify them and to identify misinformation, which is often concealed in survey data, are needed for future research.
ISSN:0039-3665
1728-4465
DOI:10.1111/j.1728-4465.2006.00088.x