Countries in which all couples have easy access to a variety of contraceptive methods have the highest overall rates of contraceptive use, according to findings reported in "Contraceptive Method Choice in Developing Countries." The analysis, by John Ross, Karen Hardee, Elizabeth Mumford and Sherrine Eid of The Futures Group International, found that people are more likely to use any contraceptive if they have access to a range of methods.

Many countries offer only a limited choice of contraceptive methods, and couples cannot easily choose the method that best suits their reproductive needs. As a result, overall contraceptive use is lower. By contrast, in countries offering all couples easy access to several methods, use of each available method increases, and overall contraceptive use is higher than in countries with fewer options.

For this study, the authors compared data from national surveys on patterns of contraceptive use with levels of access to four methods of contraception'female sterilization, the IUD, the pill and the condom. They found that contraceptive prevalence is highest in countries where access to all four methods of contraception is uniformly high..

Although access to a full choice of contraceptive methods is yet to be attained in many countries, greater programmatic attention to the provision of a full range of methods could increase both access to and use of contraception.

The March issue of International Family Planning Perspectives also includes:

• "Recent Changes in Heterosexual Attitudes, Norms and Behaviors Among Unmarried Thai Men: A Qualitative Analysis," by Mark VanLandingham and Lea Trujillo;

• "Spousal Communication and Family Planning Adoption: Effects of a Radio Drama Serial in Nepal," by Mona Sharan and Thomas W. Valente;

• "Reasons for the Low Level of IUD Use in El Salvador," by Karen R. Katz, Laura M. Johnson, Barbara Janowitz and José Miguel Carranza; and

• "Population and Poverty: New Views on an Old Controversy," by Thomas W. Merrick.