Bolivia survey reveals disparities.

PIP: Findings from the Bolivia Demographic and Health Survey in 1998 indicate that large fertility and reproductive health disparities based on education level and geographic location still persist in the country. Despite substantial improvement in the overall education level of Bolivian women in the past 5 years, urban women are almost 5 times more likely to attend high school than rural women are. Major differences in education level also exist between provinces. Total fertility rate is at 4.2 children per woman, with women without education having more than 3 times the number of children compared to those with higher education. At such rates, rural women will have an average of 6.3 children, which are 2.5 children more than their urban counterparts. Moreover, nearly 80% of women in union know of a modern method of contraception and 45% of them are using some form of family planning. The highest levels of contraceptive use are among women with higher education and women in urban areas. There is also a notable increase in the number of women who receive assistance from a trained medical professional during delivery. Infant and child mortality rates remain among the highest in Latin America although both rates have declined since the 1994 survey findings. Infant mortality rates are still 80% higher in rural areas than urban areas.^ieng