Choice and changes of contraceptive methods after primiparous delivery in Shanghai.

ABSTRACT

PIP This study assessed the contraceptive method of choice and tendency of method switching of women after their first birth in Shanghai, China. The assessment was based on 15 months follow-up after the first delivery. Included in the study were 3701 primiparous women aged 18-43 years, with 1833 women living in an urban area and 1868 living in a rural area. Results showed that 15 months after delivery 95.46% had already used a contraceptive method. The leading first choice among urban women was the condom (50.72%), followed by the IUD (29.09%), while the leading first choice among rural women was the IUD (56.65%), followed by the condom (30.60%). Among women who had never used a contraceptive method, 33.77% of urban women and 18.52% of rural women switched method 15 months after delivery. The major reason for the contraceptive method switching was method failure attributed to improper use. Furthermore, the choice of contraceptive method after first birth varied significantly by women's characteristics. Urban, well-educated women, breast-feeding women and older women preferred the condom and the rhythm method over oral contraceptives. Family planning workers should increase women's awareness of the benefits and disadvantages of different contraceptive methods, dispel myths, and improve women's informed choice.^ieng