A new population policy for Mexico, based on the need to regulate demographic growth, should be developed without damaging the cultural values of the Mexican people. The role of cultural values in the identification of demographic problems, formulation of population policies, and implementation of programs, was studied in Mexico under sponsorship of the U.N. Population Fund. Population policies should be understood as a creative response to problems that life poses. Problems, policies, and national programs often originate with the elite or the middle class and are imposed with little respect for the real sense of the popular culture of the lower classes. It is an error to identify the traditional or folk values with a pronatalist attitude, because pronatalist attitudes can change when the people comprehend that birth control will aid in their fight for survival. The improvement of life for the Mexican peasant, proletarian and subproletarian is related to the modification of reproductive and migratory behavior. It is therefore an error to depict the new population policies as an interest of the upper classes and the imperialist countries. Population programs should be conceived and implemented by taking into account the values and aspirations of the popular majority.
This paper discusses the strategy of the Indonesian national family planning program for the coming 5-10 years, in which communities will be given greater responsibility for their own fertility limitation programs and a stronger alliance with other government programs will be sought in order to assure the long-term success of both family planning and development activities. The article explains why more vigorous fertility limitation efforts will be required in the future despite encouraging results so far, and describes the structure of the Indonesian national family planning program. The rationale behind the move away from clinics as depensers of family planning services is examined, and the community family planning approach in Bali is described and compared to that in Java. The differing approach to service delivery in the Outer Islands is then discussed. The relationship between development and the small family norm is discussed, and efforts underway to maximize cooperation between the family planning and development sector projects are described.
This essay is intended to provide guidelines for systematic evaluation of population education programs to aid decision making and improvement of the programs. It begins with a discussion of population education programs in Asian countries and the need for evaluation. Specific suggestions are made for the compositiom of the evaluation team. The aims and procedures of program evaluation are defined and formative and summative evaluation are differentiated. Problems specific to evaluation of population education programs are then identified, and the process of developing an evaluation plan taking account of the specific features of population education projects is outlined. Data selection and collection are then discussed. A detailed outline is presented for preparing evaluation instruments for in-school population programs. Data analysis, interpretation of findings, and reporting of results are discussed, and suggestions are made for the utilization of evaluation findings.
Reasons commonly advanced for providing family planning are the need for it as a health measure, as part of the basic human right of parents to plan their families, and as a measure to slow demographic growth. Provision of access to all couples desiring birth control, not just to the wealthy and educated, is a less frequently discussed reason. All these reasons require broad coverage in order to be effective. The author argues, using data on the relative health risks of contraceptive usage vs. pregnancy, that nonclinic distribution of contraceptives is consistent with responsible health considerations. The argument is buttressed by ethical considerations. The demand for family planning services is next considered, with the author arguing that availability of contraceptives is an important factor in increasing demand for them. The characteristics and users of nonclinic delivery systems are then discussed. Commercial distribution systems may provide services for up to 5% of women of fertile age, thus providing a useful supplement to organized and more highly subsidized programs. Noncommercial distribution -- household or community based systems -- has allowed contraceptive use to expand to levels of 20 or 25% and sometimes as high as 50%, in periods as short as a year and a half, at low cost. Community leaders have often proven to be more effective than clinic personnel in providing instruction and support to contraceptive users.
El Salvador is one of the few countries of the developing world where strong government support of the family planning program allows free use of mass communications to educate the public aboutthe availability of voluntary sterilization as a means of birth contro. A campaign was initiated by the Social Security Institute of El Salvador to increase utilization of its family planning services, and the Salvadorean Demographic Association, in collaboration with the Community and Family Study Center of the University of Chicago, designed a project to determine whether a special communication campaign could increase demand for voluntary surgical sterilization at the Social Security facilities. A campaign involving various activities was begun in January 1978 with the training of 6 social workers to promote family planning and make referrals for sterilization. The study design called for a series of measurements at periodic intervals for 6 months before the program and 9 months after its initiation. The effect of the program was measured by the number of sterilization operations performed during this time at the Social Security facilities in San Salvador. It was found that th Social Security program which included special social workers and printed folders experienced a substantial increase in the number of operations performed, while another program lacking these special features apparently received little benefit from the campaign.
