Contraceptive practice in New Zealand

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Public Health
• Demography

Background:

• Contraceptive practices are crucial for family planning and reproductive health outcomes.
• Understanding trends in contraceptive use is essential for public health policy and interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey current contraceptive practices among women aged 25-54 in New Zealand.
• To identify the most prevalent methods of family limitation and compare current trends with historical data.

Main Methods:

• A population-based sample of women aged 25-54 was surveyed.
• Women were selected as control subjects within a national case-control study.
• Data on contraceptive use, including sterilization and oral contraceptives, were collected.

Main Results:

• Sterilization is the most common method of family limitation, with 45% of women aged 25-54 in a union where one partner was sterilized.
• Vasectomy is the most frequent method of contraceptive sterilization.
• Hysterectomy contributed to high sterilization rates (12% of women).
• While over 80% of women have used oral contraceptives, only 11% were current users.

Conclusions:

• There has been a significant increase in contraceptive sterilization prevalence in New Zealand.
• There has been a marked decrease in the use of oral contraceptives.
• Current contraceptive trends indicate a shift towards permanent methods of family limitation.