Contraceptive practice in the Philippines: a synthesis.

This article puts together all available data on contraceptive prevalence and effectiveness from 1968-83 in an attempt to assess the Philippine family planning program's performance in reducing fertility. 3 indicators of contraceptive effectiveness are discussed -- Pearl pregnancy rates, 12-month continuation rates, and effective protection level. Findings on factors associated with contraceptive prevalence are presented and discussed, with special emphasis on the effects of the Outreach project variables. The argument is that popualtion programs can influence demographic behavior, but the extent of this influence largely depends on the quality of program design and implementation.