title: [Women and contraception: knowledge and use of contraceptive methods].
abstract: This article analyzes knowledge and use of contraceptive methods in women ages 10 to 49 years residing in the southern region of the city of São Paulo in 1992. A total of 1,157 childbearing-age women were studied, focusing on variables that might define them as to: knowledge in the use of contraceptive methods and reasons for choosing a given method. We observed that 86% of the women referred knowledge of some contraceptive method, while the most common was the pill (95.3%), followed by condoms (92.6%). Meanwhile, 14% of the interviewees denied knowledge of any contraceptive method. Of the sexually active women (66.4%), 34.9% reported never having used contraceptive methods. Of those who had, 35.3% used the pill, while 42.9% had resorted to sterilization. Only 5.2% used condoms. Despite the high level of knowledge concerning contraceptive methods, especially oral contraceptives and condoms, we observed limited use of same as compared to the high sterilization rate around the age of 27, thus leaving contraception limited to the pill and female sterilization.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Saúde Materno-Infantil, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 01246-904, Brasil.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schor
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: França
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Pirotta
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Alvarenga
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Siqueira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D003267:Contraception / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003274:Contraceptive Devices, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral