Highlights of a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)

Contraceptive Use in the United States: 1982-90

Advance Data No. 260

For release February 14, 1995

Data highlights

• The percent of women aged 15-44 years whose partners used condoms for birth control increased from 9 percent in 1988 to 11 percent in 1990, and the use of birth control pills in this age group declined slightly from 19 to 17 percent.
• Among women aged 15-44 years at risk of an unintended pregnancy, the proportion not using contraceptives increased from 7 to 12 percent from 1988 to 1990. This trend occurred mainly among younger women, never-married women, and white women.
• Among never-married women using contraception, the proportion who used condoms increased from 20 to 30 percent and the proportion using the pill declined from 59 to 51 percent.
• Among females 15-19 years of age, 32 percent used contraceptives in both 1988 and 1990, but among sexually experienced teenagers, contraceptive use declined slightly from 61 to 58 percent.
• The percent of sexually experienced teenage females who were sexually active but did not use contraception in the month prior to the survey increased dramatically from 8 to 22 percent.

For more information, please contact NCHS, Office of Public Affairs (301) 458-4800, or via e-mail at paoquery@cdc.gov.

No. 260. Contraceptive Use in the United States: 1982-90. 16 pp. (PHS) 95-1250 [PDF – 152 KB]