Contraceptive Adoption after Unwanted Birth in India: A Calendar Analysis

In developing countries like India, the issue of unintended pregnancy in the context of use of contraception has not been explored till date. This study takes advantage of calendar data, which is first time available in Indian National Family Health Survey (2005-06), to deal with type and time to initiate contraceptive after having unwanted pregnancy. Analysis revealed that, among the group of women who have experience mistimed pregnancy, more than 25 percent using modern spacing method, specially condom followed by pill. Sterilization used by women who have reported their last birth was unwanted. Surprisingly user of traditional contraceptive method like periodic abstinence and withdrawal was also used by women who have experience unintended pregnancy. More than two third women who have adopted contraceptive method just after birth to within six months, majority of them experience mistimed birth. Initiation of contraceptive within 6-18 months was mainly those women, who have experience unwanted pregnancy.