Household distribution of contraceptives in rural Egypt.

Oral contraceptives were offered to all married, fecund women 15-44 years of age living in 38 Egyptian villages with a population of 200,000. Before the household distribution, contraceptive prevalence was 19.1 percent. Nine months after the distribution, the contraceptive prevalence increased to 27.7 percent, a relative increase of 45 percent. Based on this study, a modified delivery system is currently being tested on a governoratewide basis. The modified system will include a wider range of fertility regulation methods and will also have health and community development components.