Contraception is an inherent part of good health care and good preventive care for women. Fertility is not a disease, and therefore, contraception is not a purely medical concern but an area for collaborative care in which the woman asks for information and help in planning her pregnancies.

Introduction

1. The “modern” birth control era began in the USA in 1912 with Margaret Sanger's programs. Table 10.1 provides a historical timeline of contraception in the USA.

2. The proportion of reproductive age women using contraception and the percentage of women using contraception at “first intercourse” continue to increase. The percentage of sexually active women not using contraception has declined among most major ethnic groups including African-Americans, Hispanics, and whites.

3. Despite these successes, nearly half of the over six million pregnancies in the USA each year are “unintended”. Half of the unintended pregnancies occur in the three million women who do not use contraception. The remaining halfof unintended pregnancies occurs in the 39 million women who use contraception but experience a method failure.

4. Women who do not use contraception and have an unintended pregnancy are equally as likely to have a therapeutic abortion as to continue the pregnancy and have a live birth. Effective contraception for more women would help to reduce the number of abortions.

5. […]