Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy (Gothenburg, Sweden) monitored a group of 286 women for 25 years of their fertile period, between 19 and 44 years of age. In 1981, a postal questionnaire about contraception, pregnancies, and reproductive health was sent to a random sample of 656 19-year-old women residing in Gothenburg (Sweden); those who responded were subsequently contacted again every fifth year. The researchers continuously compared the type of contraceptive used by the women with the number of pregnancies during the same period.

The results showed that at 19 years of age, 74% of the women had already used contraception, and this figure increased to 98% at 44 years. Combined oral contraception was the commonest method currently used up to 29 years of age, and thereafter an IUD. Condom use alone during the 25-year study period was 15%, and non-use of contraception was 26%. The mean number of pregnancies/children increased from 0.2/0.1 at 19 years of age to 3.1/2.1 at 44 years. The study was published in the June 2010 issue of Human Reproduction.

“When we compared women who had not been pregnant at the age of 19 with women who had been pregnant at that age, the study showed that these women had significantly more pregnancies up to the age of 24,” said lead author and study presenter Ingela Lindh, a midwife and researcher at the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy. “This increase subsided rapidly as the women became older, which was probably due to the increased use of an intrauterine device in this group of women.”

“We need more active management from healthcare providers for women who have undergone one or more abortions,” added Ms. Lindh. “It would be advantageous to have a quicker return visit after an abortion where you can discuss the pros and cons of different contraceptives and highlight the use of long acting methods such as an intrauterine device as a good alternative to the pill.”

An IUD contraceptive device is a form of birth control that involves an object placed in the uterus to prevent fertilization of the egg by sperm, inhibit tubular transport, and prevent implantation of the blastocyst into the endometrium.

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