Personality profiles and socioeconomic factors in contraceptive use

The correlation of contraceptive use with socioeconomic factors and personality profiles was examined in a sample of 3060 women by a questionnaire based on the diagnostic criteria of the DMS III. Use of safer contraceptives correlated with several socioeconomic factors, among them, the schooling of the wife had higher significance and explained most of the variance contained in other factors. Women unprotected did not show a distinct personality profile. Indices of compulsion and phobias were significantly different between groups of contraceptive use. Users of injectables showed higher scores of compulsion, whereas IUD users had higher scores of phobias. These results were interpreted to mean that personality profiles partially explain the preference for certain methods.