Private behaviors and public policies: Swings in reproductive behavior of Iranian Couples following Revolution
MENA Dubai 2003 Abstract
Author A. H. Mehryar and Shirin Ahmadnia
Copy Since its establishment in late 1940s, the United Nations has recognized rapid population growth as a major obstacle to economic development and all nations have been urged to adopt national policies to deal with this problem. These policies have, however, often run against deep rooted traditional beliefs and values supporting early and universal marriage and almost unlimited reproduction as important religious values. High infant mortality rates and fear of losing children as well as the dependence of older generation on the financial support of their children have also acted as major sources of resistance against the family planning and population control policies. So have also women's lower status and their reliance on having many children, particularly sons, as a source of pride, marital stability and old age security. A large number of studies by sociologists and psychologists have addressed these issues and have offered insights and solutions for the resistance faced by family planning programs in developing countries.

The aim of this paper is to describe the development, organization, and achievements of the family planning program instated in 1989 and to identify some of the main factors that have contributed to its remarkable success. To this end, the main findings of all censuses and surveys conducted by the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), and the authors' own research team between 1976–2002 are reviewed.

The findings indicate a tremendous rise in contraceptive prevalence rate as well as a striking decline in fertility and population growth rates since the late 1980s. Almost 75% of eligible couples are currently found to be using a contraceptive. The traditional urban–rural gap has narrowed considerably. Although the large majority of couples are using modern methods, including male and female sterilization, a large proportion continue to rely on coitus interruptus. The use of the latter method is surprisingly more common in urban areas of the better-developed provinces with remarkable rates of fertility decline. By late 2000, 23 of the 29 provinces had CPRs above 70%. Even the two provinces with the lowest CPR level (Sistan-Baluchistan and Hormozgan provinces, bordering Pakistan and the Persian Gulf) have higher contraceptive use rates (41.5% and 55%) than most neighboring countries. The fertility rate, which had declined from a TFR of 6.5 to a TFR of 2.6 between 1986 and 1996, has continued to fall further. According to large-scale surveys conducted by the SCI (1998/9) and MOHME (2000) the TFR has dropped to below 2 in urban areas of the majority of provinces as well as the rural areas of several provinces.