Sterilization dominance and alternative contraceptive choices in India: an appraisal of the social and economic impact

Isabel Tiago Oliveira, ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
José G. Dias, ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa
Sabu S. Padmadas, University of Southampton

Recent fertility decline in India has been unprecedented especially in southern India where fertility is almost exclusively controlled by means of permanent contraceptive method. The central argument in this paper is that economic changes since the late 1990s and exposure to modern information systems have facilitated new opportunities for women to experience wide range of contraceptive choices other than sterilization. The aim of this paper is to disentangle the interactive influence and impact of economic and social factors on contraceptive choices among women in India. Data for this study are drawn from the 2005-06 National Family Health Surveys focusing on a sample of married and fecund women who reported using a method within the five years preceding the survey. Results from random intercept multinomial logistic regression show that socioeconomic dimensions have overarching influence on method choices, especially modern temporary over sterilization but the effects were not linear as expected.