Factors associated with short-term oral contraceptive discontinuation
Sear, A.M.; Turner, M.N.
Family Planning Perspectives 6(4): 230-233
1974
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 4442571 DOI: 10.2307/2133711Document Number: 503749
An investigation was devised to study factors associated with short-term oral contraceptive discontinuation. Of 405 women in New Orleans who accepted oral contraceptives in the clinics of the Orleans Parish Family Planning Program during January 1974, 365 (90.1%) were located and interviewed. 5.2% of the women did not start the method as scheduled, and 6.1% of those who started quit before the second cycle. 53% ofthose who did not start the pill gave as their major reason for not starting their inability to determine when to begin the pill because of menstrual irregularity. The second major reason (26%) was personal reasons such as sexual inactivity, fear that the pill causes cancer, and unrelated health problems. 63% of the women who discontinued the pill during or immediately after the first cycle cited side effects, principally breakthrough bleeding, as the reasons for discontinuing. A multiple regression analysis was computed with short-term continuation/discontinuation as the dependent variable. The independent variables were age, parity, education, presence or absence of a male sexual partner, employment status, postpartum status, severity of spotting or bleeding as a side effect, attitude toward conception, and frequency of sexual intercourse. Only 7.3% of the variance in oral contraceptive continuation/discontinuation was accounted for by the variables included in the model, and bleeding and spotting accounted for 88% of this total. It is recommended that 1) oral contraception begin immediately postabortion or postpartum, 2) medical attention be given to postpartum or postabortal bleeding and spotting problems of amenorrhea, and 3) bleeding and spotting problems be checked carefully after pill initiation to see if another pill or another method might be used or if medical intervention is required.