Unmet need for couples: An analytical framework and evaluation with DHS data

While estimates of unmet need continue to be an important measure of the ex tent of demand for contraception and family planning programs success in de veloping countries, there are various reservations about the validity of th ese estimates. For instance, the traditional formulation of the measurement has relied solely on information from women while inferences from the find ings are often drawn for couples. As more survey data have become available for both men and women in a number of countries, there is increasing evide nce suggesting that husbands' preferences are indeed important determinants of the reproductive behavior of couples. This paper develops an analytical framework for measuring unmet need for couples. The approach: (1) takes a fresh look at the classification of pregnant and amenorrheic women, and (2) incorporates the contraceptive use and fertility preferences of husband an d wife in estimating the level of unmet need in six sub-Saharan African cou ntries, Our findings shows that taking these factors into account results i n a 50 to 66 percent reduction in the level of unmet need in these countrie s. The importance of husbands' variables in determining the level of unmet need is clearly evident when examined among fecund couples in which the wif e is neither pregnant nor amenorrheic. The implications of these findings f or family planning programs and research are discussed.