Influence of Son Preference on Contraceptive Method Mix: Some Evidences from ‘Two Bengals’

Abstract

Although the people of Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal of India share common cultural practices, they differ in contraceptive adoption and practice. The adoption of modern contraceptive methods among women/couples of the two Bengals when compared to each other is found to differ. The women/couples of West Bengal make significant and higher use of the natural method compared to that of their counterparts in Bangladesh. Using data from Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of both the regions, and by employing the sequential logit models, the present study suggests that a greater reliance on natural methods among women of West Bengal is indeed related to higher preference for sons in this region compared to that in Bangladesh.