Health care provider and contraceptive care setting: the relationship to contraceptive behavior

This study examines contraceptive delivery characteristics and their association with contraceptive behavior. Data were collected in telephone interviews from a national sample of 1057 women who were using female contraceptives. The overwhelming majority of the sample obtained contraceptive services from gynecologists and other physician specialists and were seen in private facilities. Whereas nearly half of the providers recommended use of specific methods, only one-fourth discouraged use of particular methods. The pill was both the most frequently recommended and most commonly discouraged method. With regards to the provision of contraceptive information, practitioners were most likely to discuss the effectiveness of a method. In three of the four categories examined, a higher percentage of non-MDs than MDs gave information to their patients. Although the majority of women reported they were satisfied with the quality of care, mean satisfaction ratings were higher for female providers compared to male providers.