Family Planning in a Semi-Rural Squatter Settlement in Kerala Marked Preference for Female Sterilisation Leela Gulati This paper reports the results of a study, undertaken in 1977-78, of the impact of the family planning programme on a small squatter settlement in a village on the outer fringes of Trivandrum city, More particularly, the purpose is to explore what type of sterilisation is most acceptable among very low-income households and why.