Factors Associated With Contraceptive Use Among South Asians in New York City

The limited literature on family planning among Asian populations in the United States suggests that this group underutilizes contraception. We examined factors associated with contraceptive use, particularly among South Asians.

We used cross-sectional data from the 2013, 2014, and 2016 New York City Community Health Surveys and included women and men aged 18-44 years who engaged in sexual activity with a member of a different sex in the last year and did not intend to get pregnant, were not/partner was not pregnant, and could/partner could get pregnant (N = 7101). We conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions with backward elimination to estimate the association between sociodemographic, behavioral, and health care-related factors with the use of any contraceptive at the last sexual encounter. The primary analysis included race as a key independent variable and the secondary analysis was restricted only to South Asians (n = 189).

Two thirds of South Asians (67%) used a contraceptive at last sexual encounter. After full adjustment, compared to South Asians, other Asians showed a higher likelihood of using contraception (aOR 1.54; 95% CI: 1.05, 2.26). In the secondary analysis of South Asians, those who were married/living together (aOR 0.19; 95% CI: 0.08, 0.45) or divorced/separated/widowed (aOR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.68) showed a lower likelihood of using any contraception compared to those who were never married.

Researchers need to conduct additional research to better understand contraceptive behavior among South Asians and identify if/what optimal interventions will increase access and help meet and support their reproductive goals and autonomy.