Contraceptive perceptions and method choice among young single women in the United States

Data from a national survey of young unmarried women are used to analyze the relationship of perceptions of method characteristics to the acceptability of methods for use and to the actual contraceptive choice. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regression analyses are employed to assess the effects of perceptions on method acceptability and on actual use. Methods that were seen as having more highly positive attributes were also seen as more acceptable, and were used by a greater proportion of the women in the sample, even though the overwhelming popularity of the pill overshadowed all other methods. It was concluded that perceptual factors can help predict who will use a particular method and that this can be potentially useful to family planning service providers in influencing method choice.