title: Fertility behaviour of Iranian women: a community-based, cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The fertility behavior of Iranian women and their reproductive needs is changing and consequently, for providing good services, it is critical to monitor their reproductive behavior at a national level.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was carried out by Avicenna Research Institute in the urban and rural parts of Iran between 2010 and 2011. Using cluster sampling, the reproductive history of 17,187 married women aged 20 - 40 years were recorded. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software (Version 11.5), and P < 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The common methods of contraception at the time of interview were natural methods (29.8%). The first pregnancy was unwanted in 20.6% of the women. The average number of childbirth per 35 - 40 years woman was 2.4. The mean age of women at marriage date and the mean age at the first childbirth both have increased with time (p< 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the fertility rate has declined in Iran, the most important reproductive issues like unwanted pregnancy and use of non-reliable methods of contraception are not resolved yet. Increased mean age at first Childbirth and elevated numbers of couples with no childbirth, because of voluntarily childlessness or Infertility should be noticed more by policy makers. Then allocating enough resources for reproductive health services is vital in new family planning policies.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, Tehran university of medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. mohamadk@tums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ranjbar
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shirzad
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Koorosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamali
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Akhondi
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abolfazl
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghoodjani
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Behjati Ardakani
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Non-Communicable Disease Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Science Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahboubeh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parsaeian
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mohammad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001721:Birth Intervals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008393:Marriage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017584:Reproductive History; D055815:Young Adult