Side effects and oral contraceptive discontinuation in rural Bangladesh

Using data from a survey on oral contraceptive (OC) compliance in rural Bangladesh, this study examines the role of side effects on OC discontinuation along with other potential predictors. A total of 1403 currently married women aged 15-49 years were interviewed; of these 43% discontinued OCs. Of the women who discontinued, 53% did so because of side effects, which was the main self-reported reason for OC discontinuation. Multivariate analysis revealed that after adjusting for duration of OC use, women who experienced side effects were 1.4 times more likely to discontinue OC use than their counterparts without such experience. Discontinued OC use was also associated with being Muslim, not being visited by field-workers, OC use as first method of contraception, lack of husband's support, and was inversely associated with duration of OC use. Adequate counseling about OC use, emphasizing the possibility of side effects, and better management of them, coupled with improved client-provider interaction and husband's supportive role could help in reducing OC discontinuation in rural Bangladesh.