Contraceptive Intentions and Use in Rural Bangladesh

Rebecca Callahan, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Data on contraceptive use intentions are widely collected, however limited evidence exists on the predictive validity of these data for subsequent contraceptive use. Data from a unique longitudinal study in rural Bangladesh allow for a comparison of women’s intention to use contraception in 2006 with their adoption of a method over the following three-year period. Results indicate that while intentions do predict subsequent use, other aspects of women’s reproductive experience including current or recent pregnancy and prior use of contraception are also important for predicting future use. Thirty-five percent of women who said they intended to use did not, while two fifths of women with no intention to use adopted a method, indicating that intentions are not a very sensitive or specific indicator of future use. More nuanced measures of use intentions may improve the predictive validity of the measure, thus making if more useful for program planning.