Contraceptive use and sterilization among Puerto Rican women

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Public Health
• Demography

Background:

• Contraceptive use patterns can differ significantly between immigrant populations and their countries of origin.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted public health interventions and reproductive health services.
• Puerto Rican women represent a significant demographic group in New York City with unique reproductive health considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare contraceptive method choices among married Puerto Rican women aged 15-49 in the New York City area during the early to mid-1980s.
• To examine differences in contraceptive use between island-born and mainland-born Puerto Rican women residing in New York.
• To compare contraceptive use patterns of Puerto Rican women in New York with those in Puerto Rico and the general U.S. population.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of contraceptive prevalence data.
• Cross-sectional study design comparing three distinct population groups: island-born Puerto Rican women in NYC, mainland-born Puerto Rican women in NYC, and women in Puerto Rico.
• Data collected in the early to mid-1980s.

Main Results:

• Island-born Puerto Rican women in New York utilized female sterilization at rates comparable to women in Puerto Rico (45% vs. 41%).
• Mainland-born Puerto Rican women in New York used sterilization at rates similar to the general U.S. population (19%).
• Puerto Rican women in New York used reversible contraceptive methods more than women in Puerto Rico (22% vs. 16%) but less than the general U.S. population (37%). Mainland-born women in New York used reversible methods more than island-born women (42% vs. 23%).

Conclusions:

• Contraceptive method preferences among Puerto Rican women in New York varied based on their origin (island vs. mainland).
• While mainland-born Puerto Rican women showed higher adoption of reversible methods, their use lagged behind the general U.S. population, particularly during early reproductive years.
• Socioeconomic factors like education and employment may influence the adoption of reversible contraceptive methods among mainland-born Puerto Rican women in New York.