The Private Share in Contraceptive Provision

Rodolfo A. Bulatao, National Academies

The paper investigates the reasons why private services and retail outlets provide proportionally more contraceptive coverage, in comparison to public services, in some developing countries than others. Specific contraceptive methods are distinguished, particularly pills, injectables, and condoms. Case studies are summarized for five countries - Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Peru, and the Philippines - focusing on levels and trends in the private share and factors that may affect it: market potential, supply factors, competition, business strategies, and government regulation. Cross-national regressions to predict the private share are also reported. Finally, attention is paid to the effects on the private share of social marketing programs.