INFLUENCE OF SON PREFERENCE ON THE CONTRACEPTIVE USE AND FERTILITY OFSRI-LANKAN WOMEN

The effect of moderate son preference on family size is analysed using data from the 1982 Sri Lanka Contraceptive Prevalence Survey whose re spondents were followed-up in the 1985 Sri Lanka Contraceptive Survey. Reported reproductive intentions on desire for additional children we re not always reflected in overall contraceptive use. Complicating fac tors were the use of modern and traditional methods and the role of in duced abortion. Longitudinal observations of the 1982-85 period relati ng women's individual reproductive behaviour to their intentions show no consistent behavioural difference between those with and without so ns. However, at any given parity, the proportion reporting at least on e additional child born during the inter-survey period was higher amon g those women who intended to have at least one additional child than among those who wanted to stop childbearing. This analysis suggests th at son preference finds expression more through reproductive intention s than through actual fertility behaviour in the follow-up period.