Determinants of Contraceptive use in Kerala:The Case of Son/Daughter Preference

Abstract

The preference of couples worldwide for a male or female child is an age-old phenomenon. In many developing countries, including India, the preference for sons is strong and has influenced fertility to a large extent. Again, there are also reports[1-3], which indicate that in countries where a strong son preference exists, it has only had a weak or, at most, a moderately strong effect on fertility and family planning practice. Nevertheless, son preference is prevalent in many less developed countries, particularly in the rural areas where sons are often
priced as assets for working on the family farm, as providers of security in old age, and so on. Son preference thus, has affected the success of family planning programs by acting as a significant barrier to rapid fertility decline in these countries.