Contraceptive choice, fertility, and public policy in Zimbabwe
The determinants of contraceptive use in Zimbabwe are examined using individual-level survey data in conjunction with two special community surveys. The spotlight is focused on the role of the availability and quality of community health and family planning services. The impact of the household resources and individual characteristics, in particular education and measures of income, are also taken into consideration. In order to evaluate the distributional impact of investments in health programs, special attention is paid to differences in the effects of the programs across educational groups. The study proceeds to investigate the determinants of fertility outcomes and then turns to the impact of contraceptive use on fertility, taking account of the fact that both reflect, the outcome of choices by couples. The results indicate that the availability and quality of family planning and health services in the community are associated with higher rates of adoption of modern contraceptives. -from Authors
