Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 July 2008
In a rural area of Bangladesh IUD acceptors in the 2 years prior to the introduction of a family planning health services programme differed from the women who accepted IUDs following the initiation of the programme. The pre-programme acceptors were older, higher parity women who were using IUDs to terminate childbearing, in contrast to the post-programme acceptors who were younger, lower parity women who were using IUDs to space the next pregnancy. The reasons for these differences are examined. The result of the programme has been a pronounced drop in the birth rate.