Oral contraceptive continuation rates in the Singapore National Program. 1966-1972

A study of a random sample of 3,564 oral contraceptive acceptors in the Singapore national program clinics with a maximum of 60 months of experience produced findings as follows: The typical pill acceptor was aged 26.9 years with 2.5 children, married for 4.2 years, had at least primary education, was not working, and started on the pill 2.3 months after her last pregnancy. Thirty-three percent of the oral contraceptive acceptors were still continuing with the pill by the cutoff date for the study, 30 June 1972, and the median period of pill use among those still using was 33.6 cycles. The median number of cycles of pill use among discontinued users was only 5.2. The main reasons for discontinuation were side effects of the pill and planned pregnancy. For the discontinued users, 43 percent had used alternative methods of protection, mainly condoms. Cumulative continuation rates per thousand women were 792 after the first cycle, 680 after the third, and 475, 346, 247, and 225 after cycles 12, 24, 48, and 59, respectively.