Abortion Access for Incarcerated People: Incidence of Abortion and Policies at U.S. Prisons and Jails.

OBJECTIVE: To understand abortion incidence among incarcerated people and the relation to prison and jail pregnancy policies. METHODS: We collected abortion numbers and policy data from convenience sample of 22 state prison systems, all Federal Bureau of Prisons sites, and six county jails that voluntarily reported monthly, aggregate pregnancy outcomes for 12 months in 2016-2017. Sites also completed a baseline survey of institution characteristics and pregnancy policies, including abortion. We reported facility policies and abortion incidence according to state-level abortion characteristics. RESULTS: Only half of state prisons in the study allowed abortion in both the first and second trimesters, and 14% did not allow abortion at all. Of the 19 state prisons permitting abortion, two thirds required the incarcerated woman to pay. Four jails of the six study jails (67%) allowed abortions in the first and second trimesters, and 25% of those required the incarcerated woman to pay for the procedure. The three prisons and two jails that did not allow abortions were in states considered hostile to abortion access. In the state and federal prisons studied, 11 of the 816 pregnancies (1.3%) that ended during the study time period were abortions. Of the 224 pregnancies that ended at study jails, 33 were abortions (15%), with more than half of those (55%) occurring in the first trimester. The abortion ratio (proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion) was 1.4% for prisons and 18% for jails. CONCLUSION: Although some incarcerated individuals have abortions, many prisons and jails have restrictive policies surrounding abortion, either through self-payment requirements or explicit prohibition. Findings from this study should prompt further inquiry into abortion incidence in these settings and address interventions to ensure incarcerated people, in accordance with legal requirements and health equity, have access to abortion.

Pregnancy Prevalence and Outcomes in U.S. Jails.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the number of admissions of pregnant people to U.S. jails and the outcomes of pregnancies that end in custody. METHODS: We prospectively collected pregnancy data from six U.S. jails, including the five largest jails, on a monthly basis for 12 months. Jails reported de-identified, aggregate numbers of pregnant people admitted, births, preterm births, cesarean deliveries, miscarriages, induced abortions, ectopic pregnancies, and maternal and newborn deaths. RESULTS: There were 1,622 admissions of pregnant people in 12 months in the selected jails. The highest 1-day count of pregnant people at a single jail was 65. The majority of these admissions involved the release of a pregnant person. Of the 224 pregnancies that ended in jail, 144 (64%) were live births, 41 (18%) were miscarriages, 33 (15%) were induced abortions, and four were ectopic (1.8%). One third of the births were cesarean deliveries and 8% were preterm. There were two stillbirths, one newborn death, and no maternal deaths. CONCLUSION: About 3% of admissions of females to U.S. jails are of pregnant people; extrapolating study results to national female jail admission rates suggests nearly 55,000 pregnancy admissions in 1 year. It is feasible to track pregnancy statistics about this overlooked group.

Pregnancy Outcomes in US Prisons, 2016-2017.

OBJECTIVES: To collect national data on pregnancy frequencies and outcomes among women in US state and federal prisons. METHODS: From 2016 to 2017, we prospectively collected 12 months of pregnancy statistics from a geographically diverse sample of 22 state prison systems and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Prisons reported numbers of pregnant women, births, miscarriages, abortions, and other outcomes. RESULTS: Overall, 1396 pregnant women were admitted to prisons; 3.8% of newly admitted women and 0.6% of all women were pregnant in December 2016. There were 753 live births (92% of outcomes), 46 miscarriages (6%), 11 abortions (1%), 4 stillbirths (0.5%), 3 newborn deaths, and no maternal deaths. Six percent of live births were preterm and 30% were cesarean deliveries. Distributions of outcomes varied by state. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the majority of prison pregnancies ended in live births or miscarriages. Our findings can enable policymakers, researchers, and public health practitioners to optimize health outcomes for incarcerated pregnant women and their newborns, whose health has broad sociopolitical implications.

Contraceptive use by disability status: new national estimates from the National Survey of Family Growth.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine population-based estimates of use of contraception among women 15-44 years of age in the United States by disability status. STUDY DESIGN: We examined the relationship between disability status and use of contraception among 7505 women at risk of unintended pregnancy using data from the 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth. RESULTS: After examining the full distribution of contraceptive method use by disability status, we found that disability status was significantly associated with differences in three categories of use: female sterilization, the oral contraceptive pill and nonuse of contraception. Multivariate analysis shows that use of female sterilization was higher among women with cognitive disabilities (aOR=1.54, 95% CI=1.12-2.12) and physical disabilities (aOR=1.59, CI=1.08-2.35) than for those without disabilities after controlling for age, parity, race, insurance coverage and experience of unintended births. Use of the pill was less common among women with physical disabilities than for those without disabilities (aOR=0.57, CI=0.40-0.82). Finally, not using a method was more common among women with cognitive disabilities (aOR=1.90, CI=1.36-2.66). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported cognitive disabilities ("serious difficulty concentrating, remembering or making decisions"), as well as physical disabilities, are significant predictors of contraceptive choices after controlling for several known predictors of use. IMPLICATIONS: The patterns found here suggest that screening for self-reported cognitive and physical disabilities may allow health care providers to tailor counseling and sex education to help women with disabilities prevent unintended pregnancy and reach their family size goals.

Obesity and contraceptive use among women 20-44years of age in the United States: results from the 2011-15 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG).

OBJECTIVE: Obesity has increased dramatically in the United States in recent decades. Our objective was to explore associations of contraceptive choices of US women, aged 20-44years, with body mass index (BMI) and relevant covariates. STUDY DESIGN: Data are based on interviews with a national sample of 11,300 women in the 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth. We analyzed women ages 20-44 at risk of unintended pregnancy. The primary dependent variable was BMI category. Covariates analyzed included age, parity, race/ethnicity, marital status, self-reported health and education. Data were analyzed via cross-tabulation and logistic regression. We determined unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for three categories of contraceptive method: female sterilization, intrauterine device (IUD) and hormonal contraception. RESULTS: Obese women have higher odds of female sterilization (BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m2: adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45-2.66; BMI 35.0 kg/m2 and higher: aOR=1.56, 95% CI 1.13-2.14) compared to women with normal BMI. Odds of IUD use are significantly higher among women with BMI >35 kg/m2 (aOR=1.64, 95% CI 1.20-2.25). Odds of hormonal contraceptive use are correspondingly reduced (aOR=0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.98) for women in the highest BMI category. CONCLUSIONS: Contraceptive use varies by BMI category even after adjusting for usual correlates of use. Differences in contraceptive use by BMI category have implications for contraceptive counseling and provision. IMPLICATIONS: Findings that obese women are more likely to rely on female sterilization raise questions about how weight concerns and obesity affect contraceptive decision making. Future research could explore associations between obesity and contraceptive use in adolescent women.

Disparities in receipt of family planning services by disability status: New estimates from the National Survey of Family Growth.

BACKGROUND: A substantial and increasing population of US women of childbearing age live with disability. Disability-based disparities in access to family planning services have been previously documented, but few studies have used population-based data sources or evidence-based measures of disability. OBJECTIVE: To determine population-based estimates of use of family planning services among women 15-44 years of age in the United States, and to examine differences by disability status. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey, the 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth. These analyses include 11,300 female respondents between the ages of 15 and 44 who completed in-person interviews in respondents' homes. RESULTS: Approximately 17.8% of respondents reported at least one disability in at least one domain. Women with disabilities were less likely than those without disabilities to receive services; the largest differences by disability status were seen among women with low education, low income, and those who were not working. Logistic regression analysis suggests that women with physical disabilities and those with poorer general health are less likely to receive services. CONCLUSIONS: Women living with disabilities reported lower receipt of family planning services compared to women without disabilities, but the differences were small in some subgroups and larger among disadvantaged women. Physical disabilities and poor health may be among the factors underlying these patterns. Further research is needed on other factors that affect the ability of women with disabilities to obtain the services they need to prevent unintended pregnancy.

Fertility Desires and Intentions Among U.S. Women by Disability Status: Findings from the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth.

Objectives We compared fertility desires and intentions among women with disabilities and women without disabilities in the United States, using a new evidence-based measure of disability. Methods We analyzed data from a sample of 5601 US women 15-44 years of age in the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth. The data were analyzed via cross-tabulation and logistic regression. We classified women into those with a disability and those without a disability. Results Women with disabilities were about as likely to want a baby (61%) as women without disabilities (60%). But only 43% of women with disabilities intended to have a baby in the future, compared with 50% of women without disabilities. Thus, the difference between the percent who want a baby and the percent who intend to have one was larger for disabled women. Women with disabilities were also less certain of their fertility intentions. Multivariate analysis shows that having a disability lowers the odds of intending another birth, after controlling for several other determinants of fertility intentions. Conclusions for Practice All women, regardless of disability status, desired more children than they actually planned to have, but the gap was larger for most groups of women with disabilities than for non-disabled women. Given the sample sizes available in this analysis, future research should use more detailed classifications of disability, however, we have shown that women living with disabilities constitute large populations with unexplored family planning needs.

Trends and determinants of IUD use in the USA, 2002-2012.

STUDY QUESTION: What factors and subgroups have propelled the recent increase in intrauterine device (IUD) use in the USA? SUMMARY ANSWER: The increase in IUD use, from 1.8 to 9.5% in the USA between 2002 and 2012, was driven primarily by a marked uptake among parous women who intended to have more children. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Recent data suggest an unprecedented increase in IUD use among women in the USA, yet less is known about how this increase has affected the overall proportion of women, at risk of unintended pregnancy, who are using contraception and which social and economic groups are involved. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: Data are drawn from the 2002 and 2011-2013 National Surveys of Family Growth. The surveys were based on cross-sectional, national samples of women of 15-44 years of age in the USA. Women responded to in-person interviews, which lasted an average of 80 min. The response rate was 80% in 2002 and 73% in 2011-2013. The sample included 7643 completed interviews in 2002 and 5601 interviews in 2011-2013. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: This study was limited to women at risk of unintended pregnancy, i.e. women who were sexually active in the previous 3 months (using contraception or not); it excludes women who were sterile, currently pregnant or trying to conceive. Altogether, 5181 women were at risk in the 2002 sample and 3681 were at risk in the 2012 sample. We used descriptive statistics to investigate trends in contraceptive use patterns by women's sociodemographic characteristics between 2002 and 2012 and used logistic regression to identify current predictors of IUD use in 2012. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: IUD use increased from 1.8% in 2002 to 9.5% in 2012 (P < 0.001). The surge was especially marked among parous women who intended to have more children (4.2% in 2002 to 19.3% in 2012; P < 0.001); it occurred to a lesser extent among parous women who did not intend to have more children (2.0-9.7% P < 0.001), suggesting that IUDs are more often used for spacing than for ending childbearing in the USA. The most important predictors of IUD use in 2012 were age, parity and intent to have children. Dissatisfaction with a previous method was also associated with IUD use (adjusted odds ratio = 1.89, P < 0.001). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: As with all cross-sectional studies, causal inference is limited. Data are self-reported, but the survey had a high response rate and rigorous quality controls. WIDER IMPLICATION OF THE FINDINGS: This study shows promising trends in the use of highly effective contraceptive methods in the USA, which may help to explain recently reported declines in unintended pregnancy in the USA. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: Caroline Moreau was supported by the William Robertson endowment funds. The work of Hannah Lantos and William Mosher on this analysis was supported by the Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists.

Adipose Natural Killer Cells Regulate Adipose Tissue Macrophages to Promote Insulin Resistance in Obesity.

Obesity-induced inflammation mediated by immune cells in adipose tissue appears to participate in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. We show that natural killer (NK) cells in adipose tissue play an important role. High-fat diet (HFD) increases NK cell numbers and the production of proinflammatory cytokines, notably TNFα, in epididymal, but not subcutaneous, fat depots. When NK cells were depleted either with neutralizing antibodies or genetic ablation in E4bp4(+/-) mice, obesity-induced insulin resistance improved in parallel with decreases in both adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) numbers, and ATM and adipose tissue inflammation. Conversely, expansion of NK cells following IL-15 administration or reconstitution of NK cells into E4bp4(-/-) mice increased both ATM numbers and adipose tissue inflammation and exacerbated HFD-induced insulin resistance. These results indicate that adipose NK cells control ATMs as an upstream regulator potentially by producing proinflammatory mediators, including TNFα, and thereby contribute to the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance.

Current Contraceptive Use and Variation by Selected Characteristics Among Women Aged 15-44: United States, 2011-2013.

OBJECTIVE: This report describes current contraceptive use among women of childbearing age (ages 15-44) during 2011-2013. Current contraceptive use is defined as use during the month of interview, not for a specific act of sexual intercourse. This report's primary focus is describing patterns of contraceptive use among women who are currently using contraception, by social and demographic characteristics. Data from 2002 and 2006-2010 are presented for comparison. METHODS-Data for the 2011-2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were collected through in-person interviews in respondents' homes. The 2011-2013 NSFG, a nationally representative survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health· Statistics, was based on interviews with 10,416 women and men aged 15-44 in the U.S. household population. This report is based on the sample of 5,601 women interviewed in 2011-2013, with a response rate of 73.4%. RESULTS-Among women currently using contraception, the most commonly used methods were the pill (25.9%, or 9.7 million women), female sterilization (25.1 %, or 9.4 million women), the male condom (15.3%, or 5.8 million women), and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)-intrauterine devices or contraceptive implants (11.6%, or 4.4 million women). Differences in method use were seen across social and demographic characteristics. Comparisons between time points reveal some differences, such as higher use of LARC in 2011-2013 compared with earlier time points.

Nonuse of contraception among women at risk of unintended pregnancy in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This paper seeks to determine factors associated with nonuse of contraception by women at risk of unintended pregnancy in the United States. This nonuse may be associated with about 900,000 unintended births in the US each year. STUDY DESIGN: The 2002 and 2006-2010 National Surveys of Family Growth were combined to yield a nationally representative sample of 9,445 women at risk of unintended pregnancy. Logistic regression analyses identified factors associated with nonuse of contraception. RESULTS: This analysis reveals previously undocumented patterns of nonuse: controlling for confounding variables, cohabiting women [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.45-3.52] had higher odds of nonuse than married women; women who reported a difficulty getting pregnant (AOR=2.5, 95% CI=2.01-3.01) had higher odds of nonuse than those who did not. Nonuse was also more common among women with a master's degree or more (AOR=1.5, 95% CI=1.11-2.08) compared with those with some college or bachelor's degree, and it was more common among women in their first year after first intercourse than after the first year (AOR 1.6, 95% CI=1.12-2.22). Among women who had a recent unintended birth, the most common reason for not using contraception prior to conception was that she did not think she could get pregnant. CONCLUSIONS: This study establishes national estimates of reasons for nonuse of contraception and identifies some new subgroups at risk of nonuse. IMPLICATIONS: These results may help better understand factors affecting nonuse of contraception and develop strategies for preventing unintended pregnancy in the United States.

Fathers' involvement with their children: United States, 2006-2010.

OBJECTIVE: This report measures fathers' involvement with their children. Father involvement is measured by how often a man participated in a set of activities in the last 4 weeks with children who were living with him and with children who were living apart from him. Involvement is measured separately for children aged 0-4 years and children aged 5-18 years. Increased involvement of fathers in their children's lives has been associated with a range of positive outcomes for the children. METHODS: The analyses presented in this report are based on a nationally representative sample of 10,403 men aged 15-44 years in the household population of the United States. The father-involvement measures are based on 2,200 fathers of children under age 5-1,790 who live with their children and 410 who live apart from their children, and on 3,166 fathers of children aged 5-18-2,091 who live with their children and 1,075 who live apart from their children. RESULTS: Statistics are presented on the frequency with which fathers took part in a set of age-specific activities in their children's lives. Differences in percent distributions are found by whether the father lives with or apart from his children, and by his demographic characteristics. In general, fathers living with their children participated in their children's lives to a greater degree than fathers who live apart from their children. Differences in fathers' involvement with their children were also found by the father's age, marital or cohabiting status, education, and Hispanic origin and race.

Use of family planning and related medical services among women aged 15-44 in the United States: National Survey of Family Growth, 2006-2010.

OBJECTIVE: This report presents national estimates of the use of family planning services and related medical services among women aged 15-44 in the United States in 2006-2010. Selected indicators are compared with similar measures for 2002 and 1995 to examine changes over time. METHODS: Data for this report come primarily from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), which included 12,279 interviews with women aged 15-44. The response rate for women in the 2006-2010 NSFG was 78%. RESULTS: In 2006-2010, 43 million women aged 15-44 received a family planning or related medical service in the previous 12 months. A Pap test and a pelvic exam were the most common services received by women in the previous year, followed by receipt of a method of birth control. About 18% of women received a family planning or related medical service from a clinic in the past 12 months and one-half of these women received it from a Title X-funded clinic. In contrast, 53% of women received a family planning or related medical service in the past 12 months from a private doctor. Use of Title X-funded clinics was more common among women in cohabiting unions, black and Hispanic women, those who lived in nonmetropolitan areas, those below the poverty level, and those without health insurance.

Contraceptive methods women have ever used: United States, 1982-2010.

OBJECTIVE: This report presents national estimates of the proportion of sexually experienced women aged 15-44 who have ever used various methods of contraception in the United States. Trends are shown since 1982, and results are shown by Hispanic origin and race, education, and religious affiliation. The number of methods ever used is also shown, along with reasons for stopping use of selected methods. METHODS: Data for 2006-2010 were collected through in-person interviews with 22,682 women and men aged 15-44 in the household population of the United States. Interviews were conducted by female interviewers in the homes of sampled persons. This report is based primarily on the sample of 12,279 women interviewed in 2006-2010 from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Data from earlier NSFGs are presented to show trends in method choice since 1982. RESULTS: Virtually all women of reproductive age in 2006-2010 who had ever had sexual intercourse have used at least one contraceptive method at some point in their lifetime (99%, or 53 million women aged 15-44), including 88% who have used a highly effective, reversible method such as birth control pills, an injectable method, a contraceptive patch, or an intrauterine device. In 2006-2010, the most common methods that women or their partners had ever used were: the male condom (93%), the pill (82%), withdrawal (60%), and the injectable, Depo-Provera (23%). Method use varied by race and Hispanic origin, nativity among Hispanics, education, and religious affiliation, with significant proportions of women in all categories having used one or more of the most effective methods. The median number of methods ever used by women was about three, but nearly 30% have used five or more methods. Side effects were the most common reason for discontinuing use of the pill, Depo-Provera, and the patch among women who had ever discontinued using these methods due to dissatisfaction.

First premarital cohabitation in the United States: 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth.

OBJECTIVE: This report provides an updated description of trends and patterns in first premarital cohabitations among women aged 15-44 in the United States using the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Trends in pregnancies within first premarital cohabiting unions and differences by Hispanic origin and race, and education are also presented. METHODS: Data for 2006-2010 were collected through in-person interviews with 22,682 women and men aged 15-44 in the household population of the United States. This report is based primarily on the sample of 12,279 women interviewed in 2006-2010, and is supplemented by data from the 1995 and 2002 NSFGs. RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of women interviewed in 2006-2010 cohabited with a partner as a first union, compared with 34% of women in 1995. Between 1995 and 2006-2010, the percentage of women who cohabited as a first union increased for all Hispanic origin and race groups, except for Asian women. In 2006-2010, 70% of women with less than a high school diploma cohabited as a first union, compared with 47% of women with a bachelor's degree or higher. First premarital cohabitations were longest for foreign-born Hispanic women (33 months) and shortest for white women (19 months). In 2006-2010, 40% of first premarital cohabitations among women transitioned to marriage by 3 years, 32% remained intact, and 27% dissolved. Nearly 20% of women experienced a pregnancy in the first year of their first premarital cohabitation.

Responsive Design, Weighting, andVariance Estimation in the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth.

Objective-The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) collects data on pregnancy, childbearing, men's and women's health, and parenting from a national sample of men and women aged 15-44 in the United States. The 2006-2010 NSFG design was a significant departure from the previous periodic design, used in 1973-2002. This report shows fieldwork results and weighting, imputation, and variance estimation procedures. The report should be useful to users of the 2006-2010 public-use data file and to survey methodologists wishing to learn how the NSFG was conducted. Methods-NSFG's new design is based on an independent national probability sample of men and women aged 15-44. The University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research conducted fieldwork under a contract with the National Center for Health Statistics. Professional female interviewers conducted in-person, face-to-face interviews using laptop computers. A responsive design approach was used in planning and managing the fieldwork for NSFG to control costs and reduce nonresponse bias. Results-The 2006-2010 NSFG is based on 22,682 completed interviews-10,403 interviews with men and 12,279 with women. Interviews with men lasted an average of 52 minutes, and for women, 71 minutes. Weighted response rates were 75% among men, 78% among women, and 77% overall. Analysis of NSFG data requires the use of sampling weights and estimation of sampling errors that account for the complex sample design and estimation features of the survey. Sampling weights are provided on the data files. The rate of missing data in the survey is generally low.

Intended and unintended births in the United States: 1982-2010.

OBJECTIVES: This report shows trends since 1982 in whether a woman wanted to get pregnant just before the pregnancy occurred. This is the most direct measure available of the extent to which women are able (or unable) to choose to have the number of births they want, when they want them. In this report, this is called the "standard measure of unintended pregnancy." METHODS: The data used in this report are primarily from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The 2006-2010 NSFG included in-person interviews with 12,279 women aged 15-44. Some data in the trend analyses are taken from NSFG surveys conducted in 1982, 1988, 1995, and 2002. RESULTS: About 37% of births in the United States were unintended at the time of conception. The overall proportion unintended has not declined significantly since 1982. The proportion unintended did decline significantly between 1982 and 2006-2010 among births to married, non-Hispanic white women. Large differences exist between groups in the percentage of births that are unintended. For example, unmarried women, black women, and women with less education or income are still much more likely to experience unintended births compared with married, white, college-educated, and high-income women. This report also describes some alternative measures of unintended births that give researchers an opportunity to study this topic in new ways.

First marriages in the United States: data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth.

OBJECTIVES: This report shows trends and group differences in current marital status, with a focus on first marriages among women and men aged 15-44 years in the United States. Trends and group differences in the timing and duration of first marriages are also discussed. These data are based on the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). National estimates of probabilities of first marriage by age and probabilities of separation and divorce for women and men's first marriages are presented by a variety of demographic characteristics. Data are compared with similar measures for 1982, 1995, and 2002. METHODS: The analyses presented in this report are based on a nationally representative sample of 12,279 women and 10,403 men aged 15-44 years in the household population of the United States. The overall response rate for the 2006-2010 NSFG was 77%-78% for women and 75% for men. RESULTS: The percentage of women who were currently cohabiting (living with a man in a sexual relationship) rose from 3.0% in 1982 to 11% in 2006-2010; it was higher in some groups, including Hispanic groups, and the less educated. In 2006-2010, women and men married for the first time at older ages than in previous years. The median age at first marriage was 25.8 for women and 28.3 for men. Premarital cohabitation contributed to the delay in first marriage for both women and men.

Current contraceptive use in the United States, 2006-2010, and changes in patterns of use since 1995.

OBJECTIVE: Use of contraception and the effectiveness of the method used to prevent pregnancy are major factors affecting national pregnancy and birth rates and the ability of women to plan their pregnancies. This report presents national estimates of contraceptive use among women of childbearing age (15-44 years) in 2006-2010. Selected comparisons are made with 1995 data to describe changes in contraceptive use and in method choice over time. METHODS: Data for 2006-2010 were collected through in-person interviews with 22,682 women and men aged 15-44 years in the household population of the United States. Interviews were conducted by female interviewers in the homes of sampled persons. This report is based primarily on the sample of 12,279 women interviewed in 2006-2010; some tables are supplemented with the sample of 10,847 women interviewed in 1995. RESULTS: Sixty-two percent of women of reproductive age are currently using contraception. Of women using a contraceptive method in the month of the interview, the most common methods used are the pill (28%, or 10.6 million women) and female sterilization (27%, or 10.2 million women). Use of intrauterine devices as a current method has increased since 1995 (from 0.8% in 1995 to 5.6% in 2006-2010), whereas fewer women report that their partners are using condoms as their current, most effective contraceptive method. Of women at risk of an unintended pregnancy, 11% report not currently using a method of contraception.