Contraceptive use, pregnancy and fertility patterns among single American women in their 20s
Tanfer, K.; Horn, M.C.
Family Planning Perspectives 17(1): 10-19
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 3979524 DOI: 10.2307/2135217Document Number: 403979
82% of never-married American women aged 20-29 have sexual intercourse; black women are somewhat more likely than white women to have had intercourse. In all, 53% of never-married women in this age-group had intercourse at least once in the 4 weeks preceding the 1983 National Survey of Unmarried Women. Black women are more likely than white women to have done so (62% compared with 51%). Nearly all of the women who ever had intercourse have used a contraceptive method at some time; 78% practiced contraception at the time of their most recent intercourse. A high proportion did not start using birth control until some time after 1st intercourse, however. On average, the delay between 1st coitus and 1st contraceptive use was 8 months, and 1/5 of the respondents said that they began using a method only after their 1st pregnancy. Most of the women who did use a method at the time of 1st intercourse relied on the condom or withdrawal; in contrast, about 2/3 of white women and 3/4 of black women now rely on the pill, IUD or sterilization. 86% of the women who had intercourse in the 4 weeks before the interview were current users--88% of the white women and 77% of the black women. Catholic women are no less likely than others to have ever had intercourse, to be currently sexually active or to be using contraceptives. However, Catholic women who receive communion at least once a week are less likely to be sexually active and substantially less likely to use medical contraceptive methods. Women who consider themselves very religious are less likely to be sexually active, but the sexually active among them are about as likely as others to use contraceptives. Better educated women are much more likely than less-educated women to practice contraception, and women who work outside of the home are more likely than those who do not use contraceptives. 33% of unmarried 20-29 year-olds have had at least 1 pregnancy (about 40% of those who have ever had intercourse). 32% of sexually active white women have been pregnant, compared with 70% of comparable black women. Furthermore, whereas 14% of white 20-29-year-olds have had an out-of-wedlock birth, 62% of black women have done so. The findings indicate that young unmarried whtie women are far more likely than comparable black women to have an abortion. As might be expected, the large majority of pregnancies and births among these women are unwanted--80% of all pregnancies and 72% of all births.