Rates Of Contraceptive Use Research Articles

Prevalence of Abortion and Contraceptive Practice among Women Seeking Repeat Induced Abortion in Western Nigeria.

Background. Induced abortion contributes significantly to maternal mortality in developing countries yet women still seek repeat induced abortion in spite of availability of contraceptive services. The aim of this study is to determine the rate of abortion and contraceptive use among women seeking repeat induced abortion in Western Nigeria. Method. A prospective cross-sectional study utilizing self-administered questionnaires was administered to women seeking abortion in private hospitals/clinics in four geopolitical areas of Ogun State, Western Nigeria, from January 1 to December 31 2012. Data were analyzed using SPSS 17.0. Results. The age range for those seeking repeat induced abortion was 15 to 51 years while the median age was 25 years. Of 2934 women seeking an abortion, 23% reported having had one or more previous abortions. Of those who had had more than one abortion, the level of awareness of contraceptives was 91.7% while only 21.5% used a contraceptive at their first intercourse after the procedure; 78.5% of the pregnancies were associated with non-contraceptive use while 17.5% were associated with contraceptive failure. The major reason for non-contraceptive use was fear of side effects. Conclusion. The rate of women seeking repeat abortions is high in Nigeria. The rate of contraceptive use is low while contraceptive failure rate is high.

Contraception and prevention of HIV transmission: a potential conflict of public health principles

Recent research suggests that HIV transmission and acquisition may increase with the use of some forms of hormonal contraception. Current data are not conclusive, but should it be determined that...

Gençlik Cinsel Sağlığı: Türkiye’deki Bir Üniversitede Öğrenciler Arasında Cinsel Bilgi, Tutumlar ve Davranışlar

To determine sexual attitudes, behavior, and knowledge of Namik Kemal University (NKU) students about sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). A sample representing 10% of the undergraduate population of NKU in 2009-2010, was studied. Of 1,500 questionnaires distributed, 1,314 (87.6%) were filled out. The mean age of the respondents (52.9% male) was 20.07±1.75 years. The rate of students who had received sexual health education was 32.0%, and 15.3% had previously used a sexual health service. Eleven percent of the female students and 50.3% of the male students had had sexual intercourse. The average age of initial sexual intercourse was 16.83±2.07 years. Of the students who had had sexual intercourse, 46.6% reported that they did not use any contraception method. The most preferred method was condoms (37.6%). The rate of contraceptive use was 58.7% in sexually educated students and 43.9% in those not educated (p=.004). The most well-known STI was AIDS (96.5%), with sexually educated students giving higher rates of correct answers about STIs (p<.05). The students who had received sexual health education were more knowledgeable about vital consequences of STI's, even though it is not sufficient, than sexually active students. Awareness of safe sexual practices and changes in behavior, in particular, promoting condom use should be established in higher risk youths. Deficiencies in knowledge could be addressed by adding a sexual healthtraining component to the university curriculum, and unmet requirements could be met by reorganizing medico-social centers in universities.

Sexual behaviour, contraceptive knowledge and use among female undergraduates' students of Muhimbili and Dar es Salaam Universities, Tanzania: a cross-sectional study.

BackgroundThe rate of premarital sexual activity, unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions remain higher among university students. This calls for understanding the knowledge on contraceptive use and sexual behaviours among this high risk group if the incidence of unintended pregnancy, illegal abortions and high sexual risky behaviour are to be minimized. This study aimed to assess ssexual behaviour, contraceptive knowledge and use among female undergraduates’ students of Muhimbili and Dar es Salaam Universities in Tanzania.MethodsA cross-sectional analytic study was conducted among undergraduate female students in the two Universities located in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania. The study period was from June 2013 to October 2013. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 281 students. Of these, 253 were retrieved, giving a response rate of 90%. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for Windows version 17.0. Descriptive statistics were summarized. The chi square test was used to examine relationship between various sociodemographic and sexual behaviours variables with contraceptive use. A P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsResults showed that majority (70.4%) of the students have had sexual intercourse. All participants had knowledge of contraception. More than half, 148 (58.5%) of sexually active women reported ever used contraception before while 105 (41.5%) were current contraceptive users. Majority (74.7%) of the sexually active group started sexual activity at young age (19–24 years). Condom, 221(24.3%) and pills, 153 (16.8%) were the known contraceptive methods. The most popular method of contraception used were condoms, withdrawal and periodic abstinence. The main sources of information about contraception were from friends, radio and school (39.5%, 36% and 24%) respectively. Forty (15.8%) women had pregnancies. Of these, 11 (27%) have had unwanted pregnancies among which 54.6% have had induced abortion. Marital status, age at first sex, ever had sex, ever been pregnant and unwanted pregnancies were associated with use of contraception.ConclusionsMost of the student’s had knowledge of contraception. However, rate of contraception use is still low. Majority of the respondent were sexually active, with the majority started sexual activity at young age. This needs advocacy for adolescence reproductive health education to promote the use of the available contraceptive services amongst university students.

Contraceptive Use among Low‐Income Women Living in Medically Underserved Neighborhoods

To describe the rate of contraceptive use and types of contraception used by low-income women. A descriptive study was used to survey women about their contraceptive use and sexual behaviors 12months prior to the time of the interview. A convenience sample of 110 low-income women living in three urban medically underserved neighborhoods who enrolled in a larger study was included. Univariate and bivariate descriptive analyses were conducted using STATA 10. Forty-eight (43.6%) of the women were African American, 43 (39.1%) were Hispanic, and 17 (15.5%) were White. The women were age 18 to 55 years (Mean=31years). Forty percent of these women who were not pregnant or planning to get pregnant had sex without contraceptives in the past 12months. The percentage of women who used contraception decreased from 77.3% users in the last 12months to 63.6% current users. The most common methods used within the last 12months were condom use by male partner (28.2%), birth control pills (14.6%), contraceptive injection (12.7%), intrauterine device (10.9%), and the patch (1.8%). Many of the low-income women from medically underserved neighborhoods did not use contraceptives and of those who used contraceptives, the majority used the least effective methods.

Contraceptive use in women under 20 years of age: A study in Iran

Contraception methods are one of the most important factors in population control. A choice of the safe and effective methods available to adolescents may guarantee their safety. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the rate and kind of contraceptive methods used by women under 20 years of age and finding the related demographic factors. A total of 500 women who finished the study were evaluated regarding the rate of contraceptive use, which method was used and the probable demographic-related factors. More than half (51.6%) of the women used contraception. The most common method was breast-feeding (27.1%), although only 2.8% had enough knowledge about breast-feeding as a contraceptive method. Other common methods used were IUD (intrauterine device) (24.8%) and the withdrawal method (24.8%). The usage of contraception was directly related to the number of pregnancies, the age of marriage and the woman's age at first pregnancy. It related indirectly to the level of education, the number of brothers and sisters and size of the family, socioeconomic status, the age of the mother when married and the age of menarche.

Adolescent Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Contraception Use in Medically Rural Compared With Urban Environments

INTRODUCTION: Barriers unique to rural life may limit adolescents access to reproductive health care including human papillomavirus (HPV) and contraception counseling. This studys purpose was to evaluate HPV vaccination and contraceptive use in rural compared with urban adolescents. METHODS: Participants were recruited from a midwestern university campus and completed an online survey recalling their HPV vaccination and contraception use in high school. RESULTS: Three hundred fifty-two female college students (91.8% white 3.2% multiracial 1.7% Latino or Hispanic 1.1% Asian or Asian American 0.9% Native American or Alaska native 0.6% African American) with an average age of 20.25 years (standard deviation 3.95) participated. Of the 352 participants 159 (45%) were urban 186 (53%) rural and seven (2%) unknown. One hundred ninety-four (55%) and 252 (72%) had received a prescription for contraceptives and the full HPV vaccination series respectively. Those with a female primary care physician were more likely to receive the HPV vaccination (odds ratio [OR] 2.12 [1.30-3.46]). Also those in medically rural environments as designated by areas with one or fewer hospitals (OR -0.54 [0.33-0.86]) and pharmacies (OR -0.61 [0.38-0.98]) within a 10-mile radius had lower rates of HPV vaccination use. Those who had received the HPV vaccination series had higher rates of contraception use (OR -2.65 [1.65-4.27]) but did not differ in rates of sexual activity (OR -0.87 [0.53-1.41]) when compared with those nonvaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Medically rural adolescents are less likely to receive the HPV vaccination series. Sexual activity is as likely for those who received and those who do not receive the HPV vaccination series. These findings have implications for HPV vaccinations among adolescents especially the medically rural.

Contraceptive use among HIV-positive women in Enugu, southeast Nigeria

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and pattern of, and factors associated with, contraceptive usage among HIV-positive women in Enugu, southeastern Nigeria. MethodsIn a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study, 400 consecutive HIV-positive, sexually active women receiving care at the adult HIV clinics of 2 tertiary health institutions in Enugu were interviewed using pre-tested questionnaires between March and August 2012. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was carried out via Epi Info. ResultsThe rate of contraceptive use was 73.1%; 26.9% (n=91) of women were not using modern contraceptives. Male condoms were the most frequent contraception used (78.1%, n=193), but 48.2% of women reported inconsistent use. The proportion of women using a dual-contraceptive method was 25.1%; none used the female condom. Having a regular sexual partner was significantly associated with use of modern contraception (odds ratio, 73.00; 95% confidence interval, 34.13–156.13; P<0.001). Misconception and fear of adverse effects were the most common reasons for not using contraception. ConclusionA considerable proportion of HIV-positive women in Enugu who did not desire to achieve pregnancy in the following 2years (26.9%) had an unmet need for contraception. The use of contraception prevents unintended pregnancy and subsequent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and should be promoted in the region.

Contraception use and pregnancy outcomes in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

Do contraception use, pregnancy outcome and number of children differ in women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)? Women with PCOS were less likely to report use of contraception and more likely to report a miscarriage, whilst number of children was similar between groups. The oral contraceptive pill is used in the management of PCOS, but the patterns of contraception use in women with PCOS is not known. In women with PCOS who undergo assisted reproduction, the risk of pregnancy loss appears higher, yet pregnancy loss and family size among community-based women with PCOS is not known. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a longitudinal cohort study. Mailed survey data were collected at five time points (years 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009). Data from respondents to Survey 4 (2006), aged 28-33 (n = 9145, 62% of the original cohort aged 18-23 years) were analysed. This study was conducted in a general community setting. Data from participants who responded to the questions on PCOS, contraception and pregnancy outcome were analysed. The main outcome measures were self-reported PCOS, body mass index (BMI), contraception use, pregnancy loss and number of children. In women aged 28-33 years, women with PCOS were less likely to be using contraception (61 versus 79%, P < 0.001) and more likely to be trying to conceive (56 versus 45%, P < 0.001), compared with women not reporting PCOS. A greater proportion of women with PCOS reported pregnancy loss (20 versus 15%, P = 0.003). PCOS was not independently associated with pregnancy loss; however, BMI was independently associated with pregnancy loss in the overweight and obese groups (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.04-1.4, P = 0.02 and OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P = 0.001, respectively). Fertility treatment use was also independently associated with pregnancy loss (adjusted OR 3.2, 95% CI 2.4-4.2, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in number of children between women with and without PCOS. PCOS, contraception use and pregnancy outcome data were self-reported. Attrition occurred, but is reasonable compared with similar longitudinal cohort studies. This community-based cohort aged 28-33 years provides insights into the contraceptive use, pregnancy loss and family size of a large cohort of unselected women. Women reporting PCOS had lower rates of contraception use and were more likely to be currently trying to conceive, suggesting that they may be aware of potential fertility challenges, yet in those not planning to conceive, contraceptive use was low and further education may be required. Despite prior reports of higher rates of pregnancy loss in PCOS, usually from infertility services, in this community-based population, PCOS was not independently associated with pregnancy loss, yet independent risk factors for pregnancy loss included higher BMI, were higher in PCOS. The number of children per woman was similar in the both groups, albeit with more infertility treatment in PCOS. This may reassure women with PCOS that with access to fertility treatment, family sizes appear similar to women not reporting PCOS.

Is Depression Associated with Contraceptive Motivations, Intentions, and Use Among a Sample of Low-Income Latinas?

BackgroundLatinas in the United States experience high rates of unintended pregnancy and low rates of contraception use, yet reasons are not completely understood. Depression is common among pregnant and nonpregnant Latinas; its influence on contraceptive motivations, intentions, and use is understudied. ObjectivesWe sought to 1) describe Latinas' contraceptive motivations, intentions, and use; 2) use structural equation modeling to test associations between depression and contraceptive self-efficacy/motivations/intentions/use; and 3) determine whether associations differ by pregnancy status. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included Latinas ages 15 to 45 recruited from an urban Federally Qualified Health Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Structured surveys were used to collect data regarding depressive symptoms measured using the PHQ-9. All other constructs were measured with previously validated questions. Constructs included contraceptive self-efficacy, positive and negative contraceptive motivations (perceived advantages and disadvantages of using contraception), contraceptive intentions to begin or continue contraception use, and contraceptive methods currently used. ResultsAmong pregnant Latinas, depression was associated with negative motivations (β = 0.16; p < .05), negative motivations were associated with intentions (β = −0.22; p < .01), and contraceptive self-efficacy was associated with intentions (β = 0.43; p < .001). Among nonpregnant Latinas, contraceptive self-efficacy was associated with intentions (β = 0.78; p < .001) and intentions were associated with use (β = 0.40; p < .05). ConclusionsAmong pregnant Latinas, negative motivations intervene in the association between depression and contraceptive intentions. For nonpregnant Latinas, intentions intervene in the association between self-efficacy and contraceptive use. This study underscores the importance of depression screening during pregnancy and encourages practitioners to target contraceptive motivations to improve contraceptive use.

The Effect of State-Level Sex Education Policies on Youth Sexual Behaviors

Two types of sex education are generally offered in the United States: abstinence-only and comprehensive sex education. There is no clear scientific consensus over which approach minimizes the risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases for teens. While there have been many studies of specific programs in clinical or quasi-experimental settings, there are very few evaluations of how state-level sex education policies affect the youth population. We estimate the impact of various state-level sex education policies on youth sexual activity and contraceptive use using data from four waves of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from 39 states. We find that states that require sexuality (sex and/or HIV/STD) education and contraceptive content or states that mandate education but leave the actual content up to local districts have higher rates of contraception use when teens are sexually active. States that require sexuality education and require abstinence content decrease the likelihood that sexually active teens use condoms or hormonal birth control. None of the policies significantly reduce sexual activity.

Atitudes Surrounding Contraceptive Responsibility: Do Latino Youth Difer from Other Groups?

Recent estimates demonstrate that more than 75% of young women and men ages 15 to 19 used contraception at first sex and their most recent intercourse.1 However, there are notable disparities in contraceptive use by race/ethnicity. Female and male Latino adolescents are less likely than African American and white teens to report contraceptive use at first sex.2 In addition, Latino adolescents are less likely to report using condoms at last intercourse (54.9%) compared to African Americans (62.4%) and whites (63.3%) and were also less likely than whites to state they used hormonal methods (14.0% compared to 29.3% among whites).3 These lower rates of contraceptive use may be due, in part, to differences in attitudes about contraceptive decision-making. Several studies have noted that Latinos report that women are primarily responsible for contraception and preventing pregnancy,4-8 which is associated with less effective method use compared to when both partners are responsible for deciding on contraception.6,9-12 However, it is not clear whether attitudes placing responsibility for contraceptive use on women are more widely endorsed among Latinos compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Some of these studies have only included Latinos,4,7 and others that assessed attitudes across racial/ethnic groups found few differences.13 Additionally, little is known about the underlying beliefs and values that shape ideas about which partner or partners have responsibility for contraception and how these might vary by race/ethnicity. Such information is important in order to identify target areas for interventions that promote shared decision-making, and therefore increase effective use of contraception. In this study, we explore youths' attitudes toward contraceptive responsibility. The specific questions we address are: Which partner is usually responsible for contraception and why? How do these attitudes and beliefs vary, if at all, across racial/ethnic groups and gender? To answer these questions we used data collected from focus groups with Latino, African American and white young women and men. Focus groups are particularly well-suited for the study of this topic because they highlight values and norms within groups sharing similar characteristics, as well as identify beliefs underlying attitudes and behaviors.14

Levels, Trends, and Determinants of Unintended Pregnancy in Iran: The Role of Contraceptive Failures

The rate of contraceptive use in Iran is high, but because abortion is illegal, many unintended pregnancies among married women are likely to be terminated by clandestine and often unsafe procedures, resulting in adverse health outcomes. Drawing upon data from the 2009 Tehran Survey of Fertility, this study estimates the levels and trends of unintended pregnancy and examines determinants of pregnancy intentions for the most recent birth, using multinomial logistic regression analysis. The level of unintended pregnancy decreased from 32 percent in 2000 to 21 percent in 2009, while contraceptive use increased. Unintended pregnancies in the five years preceding the 2009 survey resulted from failures of withdrawal (48 percent) and of modern contraceptive use (20 percent), together with contraceptive discontinuation (26 percent) and nonuse (6 percent). Multivariate findings show that, compared with women experiencing withdrawal failures, the risk of unintended pregnancy was higher among women reporting modern contraceptive failure and lower among those reporting contraceptive discontinuation and nonuse. The high risk of unwanted pregnancy among women experiencing failures in practicing withdrawal or using modern contraceptive methods points to an unmet need for family planning counseling and education rather than to a shortage of contraceptive methods.

Correlation of Leukorrhea and Trichomonas vaginalis Infection

Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) causing vaginitis. Microscopy has poor sensitivity but is used for diagnosis of trichomoniasis in resource-poor settings. We aimed to provide a more reliable diagnosis of trichomoniasis by investigating an association with leukorrhea. Women presenting for evaluation of vaginal discharge, STI exposure, or preventative gynecologic examination were evaluated for Trichomonas infection. Vaginal pH was determined and microscopy was performed by the provider, who recorded the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) per epithelial cell and the presence of clue cells, yeast, and/or motile trichomonads. Leukorrhea was defined as greater than one PMNL per epithelial cell. Culture and a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) were used to detect T. vaginalis. Patients were evaluated for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae using NAATs and bacterial vaginosis using Gram stains. Two hundred ninety-four women were enrolled, and 16% were found to have Trichomonas (46/294). Trichomonas infection was more common in parous non-Hispanic, black women, who reported low rates of contraceptive use (33% versus 17%; P = 0.02) and a STI history (85% versus 55%; P = 0.002). These women were more likely to report vaginal discharge (76% versus 59%; P = 0.02) and have an elevated vaginal pH (87% versus 48%; P < 0.001) and gonorrhea infection (15% versus 4%; P = 0.002). Leukorrhea was associated with a 4-fold-increased risk of Trichomonas infection. Leukorrhea on microscopy was associated with Trichomonas vaginitis. Patients with leukorrhea should be evaluated with more-sensitive tests for T. vaginalis, preferably NAATs, if microscopy is negative.

Effects of consanguineous marriage on reproductive behaviour, adverse pregnancy outcomes and offspring mortality in Oman

Background: The long tradition of high prevalence of consanguineous marriages in Omani society may have ramifications for reproductive behaviour and health of offspring.Aim: To examine the relevance of consanguinity to reproductive behaviour, adverse pregnancy outcome and offspring mortality in Oman.Subjects and methods: The data analysed came from the 2000 Oman National Health Survey. Selected indicators that are related to reproductive behaviour, adverse pregnancy outcome and offspring mortality were considered as explanatory variables. Various statistical methods and tests were used for data analysis.Results: Consanguineous marriage was found to be associated with lower age at first birth, higher preference for larger family size, lower level of husband–wife communication about use of family planning methods and lower rate of contraceptive use. Although bivariate analysis showed elevated fertility and childhood mortality among the women with consanguineous marriage, after controlling for relevant socio-demographic factors in multivariate analysis, fertility, childhood mortality and foetal loss showed no significant association with consanguinity in Oman.Conclusion: Consanguinity plays an important role in determining some of the aspects of reproduction and health of newborns, but did not show any detrimental effects on fertility and offspring mortality. The high level of consanguinity and its relevance to reproduction in Oman need to be considered in its public health strategy in a culturally acceptable manner.

Contraceptive use by Palestinian-refugee mothers of children aged 0–3 years attending the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East's maternal and child health clinics in the occupied Palestinian territory (West Bank and Gaza Strip), Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria: a follow-up study

Background In 1994, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) introduced family planning services as an integral part of its expanded programme for maternal and child health. The main objective in this report of the 2005 follow-up was to assess contraceptive use 10 years after the baseline study in 1995 and at follow-up in 2000 to ascertain the progress in the achievement of the programme's objectives and to identify future needs of the mothers and improvements for the programme. Methods The total sample was 10 890 women who attended UNRWA's clinics for maternal and child health with their children (aged 0–3 years) whose births had been registered at the clinic. Trained senior staff nurses and senior nurses completed a standard questionnaire during interviews with the mothers. Data were analysed with EpiInfo (version 6.0). Informed verbal consent was obtained from the women. Findings The mean number of pregnancies per woman dropped from 4·39 in 1995 to 4·14 in 2000 and 3·90 in 2005. The mean number of children alive per mother fell from 3·85 in 1995 to 3·47 in 2000 and 3·26 in 2005. The mean birth interval rose from 29·8 months in 1995 to 34·3 months in 2000 and 37·9 months in 2005. Overall, 2581 (31%) of 8309 women in 1995, 2777 (50%) of 5565 in 2000, and 6033 (55%) of 10 890 in 2005 used modern contraceptives: an increase of 24·3% from 1995 to 2005. The rate of contraceptive use was highest in women with four to six children, whereas in the baseline study the highest rate was in women with more than ten children. The total fertility rate in the target population since the introduction of the family planning programme dropped from 4·7 in 1995 to 3·5 in 2000 and 3·2 in 2005. Interpretation The rate of contraceptive use has almost doubled during the 10 years since the baseline study. The steady increase in the use of modern contraceptives indicates a change in behaviour among Palestinian refugees to have smaller families. Funding None.

Schools, Their Spatial Distribution and Characteristics, and Fertility Limitation().

This paper investigates the complex relationship between various dimensions of women's educational context and their later life contraceptive use. Using data from rural Nepal on all the schools that ever existed in one community, I create geographically weighted measures of school characteristics-specifically teacher and student characteristics-that capture exposure to the complete array of schools and investigate the direct relationship between these dimensions of school characteristics and contraceptive use. These analyses provide new information on the broader issue of how social context influences the adoption of innovative behaviors by exploring the wide-reaching effects of school characteristics on individuals. Findings show that the gender of teachers and of other students, and the level of teacher education are all related to women's use of contraception; that increased exposure to these school characteristics throughout the study area, but not necessarily at the closest school, is related to higher rates of contraceptive use; and that school characteristics early in the life course can have long-term consequences for individual behavior.

The Effects of Intimate Partner Violence Before, During, and After Pregnancy in Nurse Visited First Time Mothers

To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) before, during and after pregnancy in a national sample of women enrolled in the Nurse Family Partnership (NFP); and, to determine correlates of IPV exposure. Clients enrolled in the NFP between 2002 and 2005 were selected. Data were extracted from NFP client encounter forms including demographic, health habits, family and relationships, and maternal and infant health information. IPV was measured by self-report and assessed during three time periods: 12months prior to enrollment into the NFP program; during pregnancy up to 36weeks; and, 12months since the infant's birth. Multiple imputation methods were used to account for missing data; univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine characteristics of IPV exposure over time. IPV in the 12months prior to pregnancy and at NFP enrollment was 8.1% (95% CI: 5.8-11.2%); 4.7% (4.3.0-5.1%) of women reported IPV during the first 36weeks of their pregnancy; and, 12.4% (8.5-17.6%) of women reported IPV in the 12months following delivery. Several IPV correlates were noted, including relationship status (having a partner before and after pregnancy, p<0.001, p=0.023, respectively), and maternal health and habits such as smoking (before, during and after pregnancy, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.001, respectively). In longitudinal follow-up, reduced use of contraception following the birth of her infant, and rapid repeat pregnancy were significantly associated with IPV exposure. For NFP visited mothers, IPV prevalence is lowest during pregnancy, compared to periods before and after pregnancy. IPV had no demonstrable effect on perinatal outcomes such as gestational age, and birth weight; however, IPV was associated with lower rates of contraceptive use and higher rates of rapid repeat pregnancy in longitudinal follow-up.

Family Planning Choices in Couples Using Contraception without Knowing They Are Infertile: Should Newly-Wed Men Undergo a Routine Spermiogram?

Introduction: Newly-weds choose to use contraception either to spend the first years of their marriage more freely, because of economic reasons or because of the increase in working career women. We studied the reasons for infertility and the rate of contraception use in the first years of marriage among couples with primary infertility and evaluated the use of a spermiogram as a screening test in newly-wed men. Subjects and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 302 couples with primary infertility who were treated at our infertility clinic were included in the study. The couples were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (infertile couples who have used contraception) consisted of 67 couples and group 2 (infertile couples who did not use contraception) consisted of 235 couples. Results: Sixty-seven (22.5%) infertile couples stated that they had used no contraception in the first years of their marriage. In group 1, 35.8% of couples were diagnosed as having unexplained infertility, while 28.4% of them had male factor, 31.3% female factor and 4.5% a combination of male and female factor infertility. Sixteen men with male factor infertility used coitus interruptus (3–36 months) or condoms (6–12 months) unnecessarily. Conclusions: Infertility counseling in the early days of marriage and a spermiogram performed at that time could be beneficial for the newly-wed couples even if they do not want a child at the time. To perform a spermiogram as a screening test in all newly-wed men should be discussed.

Do I practice what I preach? Contraception use in North American medical students

Evaluation of: Rowen TS, Smith JF, Eisenberg ML et al. Contraceptive usage patterns in North American medical students. Contraception 83(5), 459–465 (2011).Contraception in medical students has not been well studied. Furthermore, the relationship between student knowledge and comfort in discussing sexuality with patients and personal choices of contraception has not been explored. A cross-sectional survey of nearly 2300 North American medical students attempted to define contraceptive usage and identify characteristics of effective use. In total, 71% of men and 76% of women were using at least one form of contraception, with condoms being the most popular method, followed by oral contraceptive pills. Female medical students were more likely to be using some form of birth control when compared with the general population. Decreased rates of contraception use were found in black and Asian students, students not in relationships and in female respondents with more sexual dysfunction. Students who felt comfor...