Contraceptive Use in Turkey after Economic Transitions: An Analysis of 1978 and 1998

DeAnna Gore, Florida State University
Elwood Carlson, Florida State University

To improve economic conditions in Turkey during the 1960s, five-year plans were implemented which resulted in high economic growth. Family planning programs were also introduced, even though contraceptive prevalence had already been increasing. In this study, we examine the changes in contraceptive prevalence of Turkish women between 1978 and 1998 and how the economic periods prior may have impacted contraceptive choice. Specifically, we observe various geographic, economic and socio-demographic differentials in currently married women who use modern versus traditional methods or no contraceptive method at all and how these determinants have shifted regionally through time. Using the 1978 Turkish Fertility Survey (TFS) and the 1998 Turkish Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS), we find a significant increase in the percentage of women using contraception, specifically in modern methods. Education continues to be the most significant predictor.