The pill remains as the most popular contraceptive method among currently married women with 13.7 percent using this method. Ranking second is female sterilization (10.6%), which is followed closely by calendar/rhythm (9.5%). These are findings from the results of the 2000 Family Planning Survey (FPS) conducted by the National Statistics Office with funding assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
From 49.3 percent in 1999, the overall contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) or the proportion of married women 15-49 years reporting current use of contraceptives drops to 47.0 percent in 2000. This is primarily caused by the decrease in the use of traditional methods (16.9% to 14.7%), particularly withdrawal (6.7% to 4.8%). Meanwhile, the prevalence rate of modern methods leveled off in the last two years (32.4% in 1999 and 32.3% in 2000).
| Percent distribution of currently married women by current contraceptive method used, Philippines: 1999 and 2000 |
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| Contraceptive Method | 1999 | 2000 | Contraceptive Method | 1999 | 2000 |
| Any Method | 49.3 | 47.0 | Male Sterilization | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Modern Method | 32.4 | 32.3 | LAM | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Pill | 13.1 | 13.7 | Traditional Method | 16.9 | 14.7 |
| IUD | 3.4 | 3.3 | Calendar/Rhythm | 9.6 | 9.5 |
| Injection | 2.7 | 2.5 | Withdrawal | 6.7 | 4.8 |
| Diaphragm/Foam/Jelly Cream | 0.1 | 0.0 | Other | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Condom | 1.7 | 1.3 | No Method | 50.7 | 53.0 |
| Female Sterilization | 10.7 | 10.6 | Total | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Sources: National Statistics Office, 1999 and 2000 Family Planning Survey | |||||
Contraceptive use among currently married women is highest at ages 35 to 39 years (54.4%) and is lowest at ages 15 to 19 years (22.9%). About a third (34.4%) of those in the oldest age group (45 to 49 years) report using a family planning method.
The most commonly used methods by younger women differ from those preferred by older women. Women below 40 years old prefer to take the pill than to undergo female sterilization or use the calendar/rhythm method. On the contrary, those aged 40 years and older prefer female sterilization and calendar/rhythm method than the pill.
The median age for female sterilization for year 2000 is 29.9 years. This means that half of the women who have been ligated had the operation when they were less than 30 years old. This figure is lower than that of 1996 (30.1) and 1999 (31.3), higher than that of 1998 (29.6) and equals that of 1997 (29.9).
Currently married women with three children have the highest CPR (57.9%), followed closely by those with four children (57.6%). As expected, childless women have the lowest CPR (3.9 %).
The pill is most preferred by women with one to two children (13.9% and 20.0%, respectively); and female sterilization, by women with three to six children (16.8%, 17.8%, 15.6%, and 13.3%, respectively). However, women with seven or more children prefer calendar/rhythm method (9.5%) over female sterilization (8.1%) and pill (6.8%).
The 2000 FPS is a nationwide survey covering women 15 to 49 years. It is the fifth in a series of annual family planning surveys conducted by NSO.