BACKGROUND Instructions for what women should do when they miss oral contraceptive pills are complex and vary according to the quantity and the timing of missed pills. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was conducted to assess the comprehensibility of four types of instructions rendered in both 21- and 28-day versions, as well as in graphic and text formats. Interviews were conducted with ...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of unintended pregnancy and associated risks are higher in late reproductive years. Limited studies have focused on contraceptive choices in these women. The aim of the study was to identify contraceptive choices and their related factors in women 35 years or older attending health centers of Khuzestan province. OBJECTIVES Additionally, several line of evidence indic...

Background There is dearth of information on contraceptive use among women in reproductive age in Ghana over time. This study sought to examine the trends in contraceptive practices among women in reproductive age in a health facility in Ghana in terms of acceptor rates, age at first reporting and couple-years of protection. Methods The contraceptive data of women were extracted from the regi...

PROBLEM Afghan women have one of the world's highest lifetime risks of maternal death. Years of conflict have devastated the country's health infrastructure. Total fertility was one of the world's highest, contraceptive use was low and there were no Afghan models of success for family planning. APPROACH We worked closely with communities, providing information about the safety and non-harmful...

BACKGROUND Hormonal contraceptives are the most common method used worldwide by teenagers to prevent unwanted pregnancies. To date there are limited data about such use by teenagers in the UK. This study investigated trends and patterns of hormonal contraceptive prescribing to adolescents aged 12-18 years in UK primary care between 2002 and 2011. METHODS A retrospective cohort study using the...

Background Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) contraceptive use is associated with an increased risk for Chlamydia infection. However, prior studies inadequately account for potential differences in sexual behavior between users of DMPA and users of other contraceptive methods. In this study we compare sexual risk-taking behavior in women using DMPA to women using oral contraceptive pills...

BACKGROUND While most unintended pregnancies occur because couples do not use contraception, contraceptive failure is also an important underlying cause. However, few recent studies outside of the United States have estimated contraceptive failure rates, and most such studies have been restricted to married women, to a limited number of countries and to 12-month failure rate estimates. METHOD...

CONTEXT Despite the inclusion of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services in the minimum standards of health care in humanitarian settings, access to SRH services, and especially to contraception, is often compromised in war. Very little is known about continuation and switching of contraceptive methods in these settings. An evaluation of a contraceptive services program in North Kivu, Dem...