Spousal Separation and Interpretation of Contraceptive Use and Unmet Need in Rural Nepal

International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 46 three months. The corresponding figures from the 2006 DHS were 82% and 0.2%, respectively. Such self-reports may be subject to social desirability bias, but these results do suggest very little risk of unintended pregnancy during periods of spousal separation. Beyond differences in need for family planning relating to coital frequency, cohabiting and noncohabiting couples differ in other respects. In comparison with couples in which the husband is temporarily living elsewhere, cohabiting couples are likely to be older and to have already achieved their desired family size (Table 4). Cohabiting couples are also more likely to be protected against pregnancy by the sterilization of one spouse (not shown).