Trends in contraceptive use at one university: 1974-1978

In a group of 2,700 women making initial visits to the contraception clinic at one university (California State University at Fullerton) between 1974 and 1978, oral contraceptives were the most frequently chosen of three prescription methods. (The others were the IUD and diaphragm.) The proportion of women choosing the pill, however, declined sharply over the period--from 89 percent of patients in 1974 to 63 percent in 1978. Choice of the diaphragm rose substantially: In 1978, 33 percent chose it, compared to six percent in 1974. The proportion of women choosing the IUD fluctuated over the four-year period, showing no clear trend, and averaging eight percent over the entire span. The decline in the proportion of women choosing the pill was sharpest among white Anglo students--down from 85 percent to 63 percent; among nonwhites and Hispanics, the proportion fell from 89 percent to 80 percent. The increase in the choice of the diaphragm was also greatest among the Anglo students. These trends of decreased choice of the pill and increased acceptance of the diaphragm are much sharper than those shown among young married women at the national level.