User-fees for family-planning methods: An analysis of payment behaviour among urban contraceptors in Bangladesh

The study was carried out to review the experience with the existing user-f ee (pricing) strategies and examine the socioeconomic and demographic facto rs associated with payment behaviour among contraceptors in urban Banglades h for selected contraceptive methods, such as injectables, pill, and condom . Data for the study were drawn from a survey of more than 5,000 married wo men of reproductive age in Zone 3 of Dhaka city, Bangladesh, within the sam ple frame of the Urban Panel Survey of the ICDDR,B's former Urban MCH-FP Ex tension Project, The findings of the study showed that most (80%) urban con traceptors have been paying for selected family-planning services. This ind icates the existence of a notable demand for contraceptives which suggests that there is scape for improved financial sustainability of the family-pla nning programme through charging appropriate user-fees far contraceptives w ith proper analyses of willingness-to-pay among the contraceptors and price elasticities of demand. Higher socioeconomic status of households, marked by higher levels of education and house rent, and location of residence in non-slum areas, is predictive of paying for contraception. Households havin g 1-3 living child(ren) are also more likely to make payment for the select ed contraceptive services.