The Effect in Fertility of Increasing the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) in Countries with Low Contraceptive Prevalence: A Simulation Exercise

Estela Rivero Fuentes, El Colegio de México
Ricardo Vernon, Investigación en Salud y Demografía (Insad)
Aguilar Elba, Investigación en Salud y Demografía (Insad)

It has been shown that when used properly LAM has an efficacy rate of between 91% and 100%. Nevertheless, this efficacy is not indicative of the effect of LAM on the population, as women may have a protective infertile period, even when not using LAM. In this paper we analyze the effect of expanding LAM in low-contraceptive populations, using simulation methods. Based on Bongaarts proximate determinants of fertility, we simulate that women who are on mixed breastfeeding and who never breastfed behave as if they were on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months postpartum. Our results show that the effect of increasing LAM on the number of births in a country are modest.