Unwanted Fertility in Bolivia and Peru: An Examination of Ethnic Inequality

Jennifer A. Mendoza, Ohio State University

Indigenous peoples in the Andean region of Latin America face great inequities in reproductive health outcomes. Recent examinations of unwanted fertility in the region highlight strong disparities, with unwanted Total Fertility Rates (TFRs) varying dramatically between the indigenous and non-indigenous. I use data from the Peru and Bolivia Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) to examine the source of indigenous unwanted fertility differentials. I utilize decomposition analysis to establish ethnic differentials in unwanted fertility as a driving factor in TFR differentials. I then will take a descriptive look at the inroads of family planning programs using several rounds of the Peru and Bolivia DHS. Finally, I will conduct competing risk regressions of the hazards of unwanted births to take a deeper look at factors such as unmet contraceptive need, use of ineffectual traditional methods, and failure rates when using modern contraceptives. This sequence of models will introduce demographic and socioeconomic covariates.