Spatial variation in contraceptive method use in Bangladesh.

Despite the impressive gains in contraceptive use in the past 16 years high variation is still evident across geographical areas in Bangladesh. It was suggested that religious conservatism and education are among the causes of this variation. This chapter highlights the analyses on the spatial variations in contraceptive use as well as the individual factors that influence contraceptive use in the country. It was noted that the probability of sterilization is raised if there is at least one boy in the family reflecting the impact of son preference on contraceptive use. Use of modern reversible methods also increases with education being highest prevalence rates among women with a secondary school education. In contrast use of sterilization is highest among women with no education. Modern reversible method use is noted to be higher in Khulna and Rajshahi than elsewhere and much lower in Chittagong. Additional research is needed to further understand the true cause of these divisional differences.