Dynamics of contraceptive failures

The purpose of this study was to explore the vicissitudes of contraceptive efforts and practice, and human behavior contributing to contraceptive failure. A consecutive sample of 481 women, who visited various gynecological out-patient clinics of a New York City municipal hospital between August 1974 and August 1975, served as the study population. There were 181 women with planned pregnancies and 300 women with unplanned pregnancies. The data were gathered in personal interviews. By comparison of both groups it was discovered that the women with unplanned pregnancies, because of their lower frustration tolerance level, had been led by successive difficulties related to contraceptive efforts and practice to episodic, faulty, or nonuse of technically effective contraceptive methods. Thereafter, psychological processes and mechanisms gave rise to a false sense of security, which virtually prevented them from resuming contraceptive practice. These psychological processes and mechanisms also govern other spheres of human behavior and merit systematic investigation.