Family Planning and Poverty

Abstract

Research on fertility shows that in the United States many of the historic differentials are disappearing. Yet there remain paradoxes one of which is that a disproportionate number of nonwhite families still remain very significantly outside the area of effective fertility control. In terms of family size preferences the author reviews the literature with particular emphasis on the results of the Growth of American Families (GAF) studies that showed that American married women thought 2 to 4 children were an "ideal" size family and that nonwhites wanted a significantly smaller average number of children than whites (2.7-3 children vs 3.1-3.5 for whites). It remains a fact however that the actual fertility levels are higher than the stated ideals or desires. The GAF data shows that 1 out of 5 couples with children have excess fertility which means the last child was unwanted by either the wife or the husband. To understand this apparent discrepancy one has to consider the current state of contraceptives and their usage in the United States. The author suggests that the motivation problems should also be seriously considered.