Contraceptive use in Georgia: estimation by telephone survey

Because household surveys are expensive and time consuming, determination of state or local family planning needs is based on national household survey estimates of contraceptive use rather than state-specific estimates. In June 1982, the University of Georgia Survey Research Center invited the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) to add questions to a Statewide Omnibus Telephone Survey to obtain information on contraceptive use, source of contraception, and reasons for not using contraception. The survey used two-stage random digit dialing to select 1,737 households. From these households, we have complete information on 332 women aged 18 to 44. The definition of contraception included use by either the respondent or partner. Fifty-six percent of female respondents were using contraception; oral contraceptives (22%) and contraceptive sterilization (21%) were the primary methods used. Private sources provided 78% of nonpermanent contraceptive methods. The majority of women not using contraception reported a noncontraceptive sterilization or infertility (31%) or were pregnant, desiring a pregnancy, or not sexually active (29%). The advantages of this method over household surveys are rapid turnaround of data and relatively low cost.