Contraception among active component service women, U.S. Armed Forces, 2012-2016

This report summarizes the annual prevalence of permanent sterilization, as well as use of long- and short-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs and SARCs, respectively), contraceptive counseling services, and use of emergency contraception from 2012 through 2016 among active component U.S. service women. Overall, 262,907 (76.2%) women of childbearing potential used either a LARC or a SARC at some time during the surveillance period. From 2012 through 2016, permanent sterilization decreased from 4.2% to 3.6%; LARC use increased from 17.2% to 21.7%; SARC use decreased from 38.5% to 30.4%; and emergency contraception use increased from 0.4% to 1.9%. Annual prevalence of contraceptive counseling only was relatively stable around 4.0%. This report estimates the length of continuation of LARCs, demonstrating that 86.1% continued their intrauterine device at 12 months, 78.5% at 24 months, and 73.4% at 36 months. These data demonstrate that the vast majority of service women have utilized at least one form of contraception, and that women are selecting LARCs in greater numbers with each passing year. The prevalence of contraceptive utilization among deployed service women is also reported.