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Abstract:
The Philippines has a contraceptive
prevalence rate of 55%, based on the 2013
Philippines National Demographic and Health
Survey (NDHS). Most contraceptive users rely
on modern methods, but over the past 10 years
traditional method use has continued to
comprise about a third of all contraceptive
users in the country. This study examines
recent levels, patterns, and determinants of
traditional contraceptive method use, based
on pooled data from the 2003, 2008, and 2013
Philippines DHS surveys.
Results from the multinomial logistic
regression analyses show that among users of
traditional rather than modern contraceptive
methods, women in 2003 and 2008 were more
likely to use rhythm over modern
contraceptive methods compared with women in
2013, while withdrawal rather than modern
contraceptive methods were preferred more by
women in 2013 than in 2003.
The results identify several factors that are
significant in predicting use of either
rhythm or withdrawal rather than modern
contraceptive methods. Women in the lowest
wealth quintile relative to those in the
highest (wealthiest) quintile, as well as
women who want more children
relative to those who do not, are more likely
to use either of the two traditional rather
than modern contraceptive methods.
Furthermore, women who are undecided about
whether to have another child are more likely
to use the rhythm method compared with modern
contraceptives. Having correct knowledge of
the fertile period increases the relative
risk of a woman using rhythm than using
modern contraceptive methods. The
characteristics of women who use traditional
methods have changed little over the past
decade. While most program efforts have
focused on new acceptors of modern
contraception, many Filipino women continue
to rely on traditional methods. Knowing the
characteristics of traditional contraceptive
method users can help policies and programs
to promote more effective
contraceptive use, including encouraging
users of traditional contraceptive methods to
switch to the more effective modern methods.
Ten Years of Traditional Contraceptive Method Use in the Philippines: Continuity and Change (PDF, 905K)