The Impact of Sex Preference on Fertility in Egypt

Abstract

Context: Sex preference and gender discrimination are social features that have an impact on the population structure of many North African and South Asian countries and Arab countries as well. Sex preference and its impact on fertility in Egypt received little attention. Objectives: This study aims at measuring sex preference, depicting its trends, investigating its determinants, assessing its impact on fertility and contraceptive use rate in Egypt. Data sources: The 1995, 2000, and 2005 Egypt Demographic and Health survey data on ever-married women aged 15-49 were used. Methods: To investigate the trends of sex preference and its pattern in Egypt, some indicators of sex preference and gender discrimination have been calculated such as sex ratio at last birth, ratio of male-infant and female-infant mortality rates and sex ratios among children who are fully immunized. Determinants of son preference have been identified using logistic regression models. The impact of sex preference on fertility has been assessed using Parity Progression Ratio method. While Arnold's method has been used to assess the impact of sex preference on contraceptive use rate Results: The results showed that Egypt exhibits a moderate level of son preference. The level of son preference is higher among rural women than urban women. Women's educational level, parity, last birth interval, husbands' educational level and his desire for children are associated with having son preference. Sex preference decreases contraceptive use rates by 3.2% and increases the total fertility rate by 5.2%. The impact of sex preference on fertility increases as fertility level decreases; results showed that sex preference increases the total fertility rate by 7.2% in Urban Governorates of Egypt, a region with the lowest rate of fertility, while it increases the total fertility rate by 2.5% in Upper Rural Egypt, a region with the highest rate of fertility. The impact of sex preference on fertility is more pronounced in Urban Governorates of Egypt than in Upper Rural Egypt, despite the fact that the level of son preference is higher in Upper Rural Egypt. This gives an alarm that sex preference will be an obstacle in the plan for declining fertility. Conclusion: Egypt exhibits a moderate level of son preference. This preference has an impact on fertility. Sex preference is an important barrier to the further prevalence of contraceptive usc and further decline of fertility because its impact will be greater as desired family size declines.