Does Policy Relaxation Increase Contraceptive Flexibility? Short-Acting Contraceptive Use in China

Xingshan Cao, University of Toronto

Contraceptive composition in China is characterized by dominant user of long-acting contraceptives, such as IUD and sterilization. Less than 10 percent of people use short-acting contraceptives. An important reason behind the composition is the state regulation on birth contraception and contraceptive use. In the mid-1990s, the Chinese government initiated a pilot program on quality of care, which now spreads over one third of the country. The core of the program is informed choice of contraception. The main research question of this paper is whether the policy relaxation increased the flexibility of contraceptive use. Specifically, it examines whether the policy change increased the use of short-acting contraceptives. Using data from 1997 and 2001 China Demographic and Family Planning Survey, we compared short-acting contraceptive users before and after the policy change. The results indicate that the policy change did not increase contraceptive flexibility, particularly in the rural areas.