Fertility preferences in Papua New Guinea

INTRODUCTION
In the traditional societies of Papua New Guinea (PNG), families did not
have a reason to plan for an ideal family size, spacing of births, number
of children, or even the number of male and female children, as these
were never concerns for parents (McDowell 1988). These practices were
prevalent against a backdrop of perceived irrational decision-making on
the health of the mothers, as the societies have limited access to health
services and choices. However, demographic surveys conducted in PNG in
the recent past have followed the international practice of using standard
questionnaires that have sought to collect information on the actual and
desired fertility and knowledge and practice of family planning methods.
Using available data from such surveys, this chapter examines fertility
preferences among women and men of reproductive ages and discusses the
factors that influence fertility preferences in PNG.