International Institute for Population Sciences
Deemed to be University (An Autonomous Organization of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India)

Sterilization is still the most widely used method of fertility regulation. India was the first country in the world to adopt an official family planning program and family planning has always been a component of the country’s population policy. However, success in reducing fertility has been sporadic and dogged by controversy. Therefore, this study attempts to find out the trend, pattern and possible determinants of sterilization using the data from NFHS-4 and employing both bi-variate and multivariate analysis. Female sterilization is more prominent in Indian family planning method and account for 66% of contraceptive use. It is evident from the data according to NFHS1 to NFHS3, the prevalence of female sterilization increases (27.3%, 34.1%, and 37.3% respectively) but according to NFHS4, the prevalence of female sterilization (36%) decrease. In 1992-1993, after female sterilization, male sterilization was the second most used method of contraceptive but after that male sterilization decreased very drastically. Prevalence of female sterilization was higher in Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim respectively. Prevalence of sterilization was higher among women older age, having three or more children, among Illiterate women, women from rural residence and women from south region. Sex composition of children is an important factor for the female sterilization. Women having only sons are more likely to go for sterilization as compare to women having only daughters than not use of any method of contraception in all cases women having one, two or three living children. Keywords: Sterilization, Sex-composition of children, India