Worker-client exchanges and contraceptive use in rural Bangladesh

Longitudinal data from rural Bangladesh are used to assess the impact of household visits from family planning workers on contraceptive use. Findings suggest that both male and female worker-initiated exchanges have an effect, although the impact of outreach is more pronounced if the worker is female. Estimated effects are consistent with the hypothesis that the predominant impact of outreach is to crystallize existing latent demand for contraception. Results also suggest, however, that female worker outreach generates new demand by fostering ideational change. -from Authors