OBJECTIVE To identify the representations of contraceptive methods within a group of sterilized women, aiming at understanding the reasons why they refused those methods. METHODS A descriptive qualitative study was carried out on 31 sterilized women, randomly selected from a list of patients attending the Family Planning Program of a university hospital. Data was collected through a semi-stru...

With the renewed focus on family planning, a clear and transparent understanding is needed for the consistent classification of contraceptives, especially in the commonly used modern/traditional system. The World Health Organization Department of Reproductive Health and Research and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) therefore convened a technical consultation in Jan...

CONTEXT Switching among contraceptive method types is the primary determinant of the prevalence of use of specific contraceptive methods, and it has direct implications for women's ability to avoid unintended pregnancies. Yet, method switching among U.S. women has received little attention from researchers. METHODS Data from the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth were used to construct mul...

BACKGROUND Understanding women's contraceptive method choices is key to enhancing family planning services provision and programming. Currently however, very little research has addressed inter and intra-regional disparities in women's contraceptive method choice. Using data from slum and non-slum contexts in Nairobi, Kenya, the current study investigates the prevalence of and factors associate...

Progestin-only contraceptive injectables and implants are highly effective, longer-acting contraceptive methods that can be used by most women in most circumstances. Globally, 6% of women using modern contraception use injectables and 1% use implants. Injectables are the predominant contraceptive method used in sub-Saharan Africa, and account for 43% of modern contraceptive methods used. A lowe...

Since their introduction in the 1960s, oral contraceptives have been rapidly accepted as an effective method of contraception, with over 100 million users worldwide. Lower-dose pills have been formulated over the years so that, for the majority, the pill is extremely safe, often with added health benefits. Major risks related to pill use are now also recognised so that women at particular risk ...

INTRODUCTION Increasing the knowledge of women on effectiveness of contraceptive methods can lead to the use of more effective methods and reduce unwanted pregnancies and adverse outcomes. We aimed to compare three different approaches for increasing women's understanding of effectiveness of contraceptive methods. METHODS We ran-domly assigned 630 eligible women of reproductive age to one of ...

BACKGROUND The multinational CHOICE (Contraceptive Health Research Of Informed Choice Experience) study evaluated the effects of structured counseling on women's contraceptive decisions, their reasons for making those decisions, and their perceptions of combined hormonal contraceptive (CHC) methods in eleven countries. The aim of this paper to present data from the 1,802 women participating in ...