Family planning communications and contraceptive use in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Panama.

Recent contraceptive prevalence surveys in Guatemala, El Salvador, and panama included a module on family planning communications. This module provided useful feedback on the reach of each program and facilitated comparisons between countries. While almost all women in El Salvador have been reached by family planning messages, the percentage of women reached was lower in Panama and Guatemala. In all three countries rural, less educated, and unemployed women who worked inside the home or not at all were least likely to have seen or heard the messages. Exposure to family planning communications emerged as a strong correlate of contraceptive use, as shown in two separate analyses. These findings underscore the importance of communications in promoting contraceptive use.