Beyond belief: religion and family planning in Bangladesh

How does religion influence family planning? Are a woman’s contraceptive decisions determined by her own personal faith or the strength of religion in her community? Researchers from the UK University of Southampton and the USA Population Council studied religion and fertility in Bangladesh.

They showed that women’s individual beliefs are not a significant barrier to contraceptive use. However, women living in highly religious communities are less likely to use contraception. A strongly devout society may be more resistant to new ideas and to changes in women’s status represented by modern contraceptive methods.

Most studies have found that a woman’s personal religious beliefs are not a significant barrier to the use of modern contraceptives, such as the pill. This study approaches the link between religion and contraceptive use in another way: at the community level.

Bangladesh is a good place to study the link between religion and contraception. There is a strong family-planning programme supported by the state, but there are large differences between regions in the extent of contraceptive use. Although Bangladesh has never been a conservative Muslim society, there is evidence of rising Islamic influence in everyday life.

A number of influences on contraceptive use were analysed across the country at the district and village level. These included individual factors, such as age, and community level characteristics, such as population density.

Individual characteristics do influence contraceptive use, the study found. For example, women who are under 24 or over 45 are least likely to use contraception. Family planning decisions are also affected by community factors, such as:

• Religion - levels of contraceptive use are lower in more devout communities.
• Education - high levels of literacy in a community have a positive influence on contraceptive use.

How can the result of this study be explained?

• A woman’s individual religious beliefs may not have a major effect on her family planning choices because the Koran does not forbid contraception. However, various interpretations of the Koran are used to support both pro- and anti-contraception arguments.
• At the community level, religion may be a barrier to contraceptive use because it may represent a collective resistance to new ideas.
• Religion may also have an indirect impact. More devout communities may be reluctant to accept the changes in women’s roles that are connected to the use of modern contraception.

Source(s):
‘Contraception and Religiosity in Bangladesh’ by S. Amin, I. Diamond and F. Steele, Chapter 12 in The Continuing Demographic Tradition edited by G. Jones et al (1997)

Funded by: London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

id21 Research Highlight: 25 January 2001

Further Information:
Sajeda Amin
Population Council
1 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
New York
New York 10017
USA

Tel: +1 212 339 0500
Fax: +1 212 755 6052
Contact the contributor: samin@popcouncil.org

Population Council

Ian Diamond
Department of Social Statistics
University of Southampton
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
UK

Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 2518
Fax: +44 (0)23 8059 3846
Contact the contributor: idd@socsci.soton.ac.uk

University of Southampton

Fiona Steele
Institute of Education
University of London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL
UK

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7612 6657
Contact the contributor: F.Steele@ioe.ac.uk

Institute of Education, University of London, UK

Other related links:
Look at the Population Council website for research on population and social policy.

Search the UNFPA site for information on reproductive health issues.

Marie Stopes International covers a range of reproductive health resources.

Check the AVSC International website for research and publications related to reproductive health care.

Refer to Family Health International for more research, education and services relating to reproductive health.