Contraceptive failure rates measure a woman's probability of becoming pregnant while using a contraceptive. Information about these rates enables couples to make informed contraceptive choices. Failure rates were last estimated for 2002, and social and economic changes that have occurred since then necessitate a reestimation.
Methods
To estimate failure rates for the most commonly used reversible methods in the United States, data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth were used; some 15,728 contraceptive use intervals, contributed by 6,683 women, were analyzed. Data from the Guttmacher Institute's 2008 Abortion Patient Survey were used to adjust for abortion underreporting. Kaplan-Meier methods were used to estimate the associated single-decrement probability of failure by duration of use. Failure rates were compared with those from 1995 and 2002.
Results
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (the IUD and the implant) had the lowest failure rates of all methods (1%), while condoms and withdrawal carried the highest probabilities of failure (13% and 20%, respectively). However, the failure rate for the condom had declined significantly since 1995 (from 18%), as had the failure rate for all hormonal methods combined (from 8% to 6%). The failure rate for all reversible methods combined declined from 12% in 2002 to 10% in 2006-2010.
Conclusions
These broad-based declines in failure rates reverse a long-term pattern of minimal change. Future research should explore what lies behind these trends, as well as possibilities for further improvements.
contraceptive failure rates United States, unintended pregnancy method effectiveness, NSFG contraceptive use data, typical use failure rates comparison, reversible contraception efficacy, contraceptive method comparison US, condom failure rate population study, oral contraceptive typical use effectiveness, IUD failure rate survey data, withdrawal method failure rate
PMID 28245088 28245088 DOI 10.1363/psrh.12017 10.1363/psrh.12017 Sundaram et al. 2017, Sundaram 2017
Cite this article
Sundaram, A., Vaughan, B., Kost, K., Bankole, A., Finer, L., Singh, S., & Trussell, J. (2017). Contraceptive Failure in the United States: Estimates from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health, 49(1), 7-16. https://doi.org/10.1363/psrh.12017
Sundaram A, Vaughan B, Kost K, Bankole A, Finer L, Singh S, et al. Contraceptive Failure in the United States: Estimates from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2017;49(1):7-16. doi:10.1363/psrh.12017
Sundaram, Aparna, et al. "Contraceptive Failure in the United States: Estimates from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth." Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health, vol. 49, no. 1, 2017, pp. 7-16.
Keywords
Abortion, Induced/statistics & Numerical Data, Coitus Interruptus, Condoms, Contraceptive Agents, Drug Implants, Equipment Failure/statistics & Numerical Data, Female, Humans, Intrauterine Devices, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Rate, Surveys and Questionnaires, Treatment Failure, United States, Contraceptive Agents, Drug Implants
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