There are a number of reasons for anticipating that contact by women in developing country settings with modern maternal and child health (MCH) services will lead to increased use of family planning services. Indeed, the expectation of such a relationship underlies the integrated service delivery strategy that has been adopted on a more or less global basis, particularly since 1994’s International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. However, the available empirical evidence in support of this proposition, all of which comes from Asia and Africa, is inconclusive. This study re-examines this issue using data from two countries in Latin America – Bolivia and Guatemala. The analysis is based on Demographic and Health Survey data that links women of reproductive age with the supply environment for health and family planning services. The study uses a full-information maximum likelihood estimator to assess the effect of intensity of MCH service utilization on subsequent contraceptive use, after controlling for individual-, household-, and community-level factors. The coefficient estimates of the two-equation model are used to carry out a number of policy simulations of the impact of increasing the coverage and intensity of use of MCH services on the utilization of family planning services. The study is supported by USAID’s The Commercial Market Strategies (CMS) Project.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: 1. Articulate the potential impacts of intergrated service delivery on contraceptive utilization. 2. Summarize the findings and policy implications of empirical research that investigates whether there is a causal relationship between MCH service use and family planning utilization in Bolivia and Guatemala.
Keywords: Family Planning, Service Integration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.