A model to estimate births averted due to IUCDs and sterilizations

The computation of births averted due to a specific family planning programme requires special treatment instead of application of the usual population projection technique using conventional fertility rates. The reason for this is that adopters of a family planning method are a selective group from the general population with respect to a number of demographic and biological characteristics, including the initial susceptibility status at the time of adoption. In the present paper a matrix of annual birth probabilities specific to age at adoption of a method and duration since adoption is obtained. One matrix is presented for adopters of IUCD, another for salpingectomy, and a third for vasectomy. These matrices are used to obtain estimates of births averted for India due to IUCDs and sterilizations performed during 1956–69. The results are compared with those that could have been obtained by using the usual age-specific marital fertility rates under identical conditions, except for initial susceptibility. The entire work is programmed on a high speed electronic computer.