Contraceptive practice before female sterilization.
The reproductive profile and contraceptive practice of 402 women undergoing female sterilization at the Central Women's Hospital are presented. Most (89%) of the interviewees were urban-dwellers and housewives with primary school education. Fifty-two percent were between 30 and 34 years with a mean of 4.2 living children. Sixty-nine percent were past contraceptive users, of them; 29.9% had used more than one method. A considerable gap between knowledge and practice of different methods was found. Education level and employment had a significant effect on contraceptive practice (p < 0.01 and p < 0.5). The majority knew and used combined oral contraceptive pills and injectable progestogens, whereas rhythm, withdrawal and barrier contraception were lesser known methods. Contraceptive use was primarily for child-spacing whereas the main reasons for female sterilization were socioeconomic and achievement of desired family size.