Facts on Contraceptive Use in the U.S.

These fascinating facts on the use of various forms of birth control in the U.S. were presented in one of my classes, and I thought they were too good not to share.

The best part is the chart of effectiveness in perfect use vs. typical use.

Information from the Guttmacher Institute

Did you know?

• There are 62 million U.S. women in their childbearing years (15–44).

• Seven in 10 women of reproductive age (43 million women) are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant, but could become pregnant if they and their partners fail to use a contraceptive method.

• The typical U.S. woman wants only two children. To achieve this goal, she must use contraceptives for roughly three decades.

• Overall, 62% of the 62 million women aged 15–44 are currently using a method.

• Almost one-third (31%) of these 62 million women do not need a method because they are infertile; are pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant; have never had intercourse; or are not sexually active.

• Thus, only 7% of women aged 15–44 are at risk for unintended pregnancy but are not using contraceptives.

• Among the 43 million fertile, sexually active women who do not want to become pregnant, 89% are practicing contraception. 

Method	No. of users (in 000s)	% of users
Pill	10,700	28
Tubal sterilization	10,400	27.1
Male condom	6,200	16.1
Vasectomy	3,800	9.9
3-month injectable	1,200	3.2
Withdrawal	2,000	5.2
IUD	2,100	5.5
Periodic abstinence (calendar)	300	.9
Implant, 1-month injectable, patch	400	1.1
Periodic abstinence(natural family planning)	100	.2
Diaphragm	N/A	N/A
Other*	200	.4
TOTAL	38,109	100.0
* Includes emergency contraception, the sponge, cervical cap, female condom and other methods.

OK now check this out - First year contraceptive failure rates (or, the woman becomes pregnant) with perfect use compared to typical use, and all contraceptive methods compared to one another.
This is such an interesting chart! Take a look at how Withdrawal method under typical use has the same effectiveness as Condoms under typical use! Amazing! 


FIRST-YEAR CONTRACEPTIVE FAILURE RATES

Method	Perfect use*	Typical use
Pill (combined)	0.3	8.7
Tubal sterilization	0.5	0.7
Male condom	2.0	17.4
Vasectomy	0.1	0.2
3-month injectable	0.3	6.7
Withdrawal	4.0	18.4
IUD Copper-T	0.6	1.0
IUD Mirena	0.1	0.1
Periodic abstinence
Calendar	9.0	25.0
Ovulation method	3.0	25.0
Sympto-thermal	2.0	25.0
Post-ovulation	1.0	25.0
1-month injectable	0.05	3.0
Implant	0.05	0.05
Patch	0.3	8.0
Diaphragm	6.0	16.0
Sponge
Women who have had a child	20.0	32.0
Women who have never had a child	9.0	16.0
Cervical cap
Women who have had a child	26.0	32.0
Women who have never had a child	9.0	16.0
Female condom	5.0	27.0
Spermicides	18.0	29.0
No method	85.0	85.0

 
Perfect use: The ability of an intervention to produce the desired beneficial effect in expert hands and under ideal circumstances (i.e., in clinical trials). When contraception is used every time, and used according to the instructions every time. 


Typical use: When contraception is not used every time, or it is not used according to instructions every time. For instance, when you don't take your pill at exactly the same time every day or you forget, or when you forget to replace your patch or get a shot at the right time, or when you don't use the condom exactly right every time.


Did you notice that the vasectomy has a failure rate under typical use?  Were you surprised by some of the "failure" rates? 

What do you find the most interesting, or perhaps shocking? What did you learn that you didn't know?



For more information: The Guttmacher Institute