Fertility planning status of Chicano couples in Los Angeles

Data presented in this paper were obtained from interviews of 1,129 Chicanas in Los Angeles in 1973. The women were 15-44 years of age, and married to Chicanos. While the level of contraceptive use prior to the last pregnancy was somewhat lower for Chicanas than for all women in the United States, they were equally successful in their fertility planning. For Chicano contraceptors, the success rate ranged from 65 per cent before the first pregnancy to 42 per cent before the fourth, a little higher than for all women in the United States. For non-contraceptors, there were similar differences in success between the two groups. These findings suggest that the higher fertility of Chicanas is a consequence of their desire for larger families rather than unsuccessful family planning. The findings on the determinants of fertility planning success suggest that ethnicity and type of health facility care for the last pregnancy are more important variables than age, age at marriage, socioeconomic status, and religiosity.