Contraception

In rural India, subsidising family planning services gets women to the clinic, but pairing subsidies with a ‘Bring-a-Friend’ voucher changes who accompanies them, reduces stigma, and delivers meaningful gains in contraceptive use.

Female politicians in India expand reproductive healthcare, but spousal conflict over number of sons can turn contraceptive gains into domestic violence.

Across Africa, early first-births remain the norm even as educational attainment has increased. Evidence from Zambia shows misperceptions and medical mistrust may be a key reason why.

What role can policy play in reducing bias among healthcare providers?

Economic theory predicts that smaller families can lead to healthier children. Evidence from India shows contraception plays a vital role in reducing child malnutrition, potentially by enabling parents to invest more resources in each child.

Why do we still see very high fertility rates in Zambia when women want to have fewer children and are open to the use of contraceptives?