The Contraceptive Revolution in Israel: Changing Family Planning Practices among Ethnoimmigrant Groups

This paper uses data from the 1974–1975 Israel Fertility Survey and the 1987–1988 Study of Fertility and Family Formation to examine trends in fertility control among ethnoimmigrant groups in Israel. From 1974 to 1988, Israel underwent extremely rapid economic growth and there occurred what might be considered a contraceptive revolution in the realm of family planning. Specifically, the nonuse of family planning and reliance on less effective techniques of fertility control (withdrawal and abortion) were largely replaced by more efficient modes (e.g., pill, IUD) of family size limitation. In addition, ethnic differences in patterns of fertility control diminished. Meanwhile, socioeconomic and cultural variables such as religiosity and income maintained their importance as determinants of variation in family planning practices among Israeli women.