In Brazil the prevalence of use of contraceptives is high and the total fertility rate is almost at the replacement level. However, there still is a significant proportion of unwanted pregnancies, induced abortions, and women who do not want any more children, or those who want to postpone childbearing, but are not using any conceptive method, that is, women with an unmet contraceptive need. The objective of this study is to describe the magnitude of the unmet contraceptive needs among Brazilian married women, as well as to identify the factors associated with this need. The information used is from the National Demographics and Health Survey carried out in Brazil in 1996. In order to identify the determinants associated with the unmet contraceptive needs, a multinomial model was used, with the outcome variable classified into three categories: need for spacing births, need for limiting births, and no need. The analysis conducted along with this work showed a strong association between factors related to the life cycle (age and number of children) and unmet contraception needs. In relation to socioeconomic factors, the high likelihood of unmet contraceptive needs among women from the Northeast region stands out. It has also been shown that women with a higher educational level are less prone to have an unmet need for limiting births. The analysis points out the need of an appropriate and universal program for family planning services to assure full support to women's health.
Unmet contraceptive needs; Family Planning; Brazil
