Informed choice in family planning and change in women’s contraceptive choice between 2001-2006: evidence from two rounds of national family planning and reproductive health survey in China

Min Qin, China Population and Development Research Center
Bohua Li, China Population Information and Research Center (CPIRC)

Following the ICPD recommendations in 1994, the Chinese government has launched a program of Quality of Care (QoC) with the integral part of informed choice in family planning. This paper intends to explore how informed choice in family planning change women’s contraceptive choice over time. The analysis is based on two rounds National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Survey (2001 and 2006). The study applied multinomial logistic regression modeling to demonstrate women’s contraceptive choice change. The preliminary results show evidence of more informed choice among contraceptive users. Apart from IUD and sterilization (both were historically emphasized by the national family planning program), the use of condom is on the increase. Over the time, condom use has increased in both urban and rural areas, but the increase in the rural areas is higher than that in urban areas. Rather than the family planning staff, women/couples are motivating the choice of women.