Which would you prefer: continuous or only on-demand contraception? International survey by IPSOS

In France, contraception use is lowest among women aged 40 and over, and the abortion rate in this age group remains stable or slightly increases. This may be due to conventional contraceptive methods being unsuitable for these women, who are less fertile and often less sexually active. On-demand contraceptive methods include male and female condoms, diaphragms, pericoital pills and spermicides. While these methods are not currently recommended due to lower effectiveness compared to continuous contraception, they may be appropriate for women in their later reproductive years, given their reduced pregnancy risk. The IPSOS survey assessed women's contraceptive preferences, particularly for continuous versus on-demand methods.

A 10-minute online survey was taken by 900 women (300 from France, 300 from Algeria and 300 from Russia), randomly drawn from Ipsos database in February 2023. Half were aged between 18 and 39 and half between 40 and 50. Statistical analysis was performed on unweighted samples, the sample size insuring robustness.

Overall, 63 % of women were open to on-demand contraception. Among those aged 40 and over (n = 450), 59 % favored it, with country-specific variations (49 % in France, 55 % in Algeria, and 73 % in Russia).

This international study highlights the need for an on-demand contraception, particularly for women over 40. Combining it with continuous contraception could reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and abortions, whose current rate in France is the highest since 1990.