KAPS: Family Planning Studies

In the 1960s and 70s, the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices studies surveyed women and men across the world about family planning, birth control, pregnancy, and sex. The majority of the samples are of women under the age of fifty, married women, and women living in cities and metropolitan areas.  The featured countries are Mexico, the United States, Israel, the Philippines, France, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Peru.

What is the ideal family size?  What is the impact of the population growth rate, will it cause societal problems?  What methods of birth control are used the most frequently?  Is it even acceptable to use birth control at all?  What are the reasons people have children?  Personal questions about fertility, conception, sterility, abortion, and unwanted pregnancies are also addressed.

In addition to family planning, the KAPS studies also feature gender and societal topics.  What kind of education would you want for your daughter?  What are the appropriate roles for women?  How often does your husband help with housework?  Should married women work outside the home?

Explore the family planning preferences of women across the world.