Study: Contraception use up, abortions double; researchers can’t figure out why

Jill Stanek
Jan.03, 2011

The January issue of the journal Contraception contains results of a 10-yr study “to acquire information about the use of contraceptive methods in order to reduce the number of elective abortions,” reads the abstract.

The results were unsurprising, “yet another example of the counter-intuitive effect of more contraception,” wrote Christina at Real Choice. What was laughable was the researchers’ conclusion. Read on….

STUDY DESIGN: Since 1997, representative samples of Spanish women of childbearing potential (15-49 years) have been surveyed by the Daphne Team every 2 years to gather data of contraceptive methods used.

RESULTS: During the study period, 1997 to 2007, the overall use of contraceptive methods increased from 49.1% to 79.9%. The most commonly used method was the condom (an increase from 21% to 38.8%), followed by the pill (an increase from 14.2% to 20.3%). Female sterilization and IUDs decreased slightly and were used by less than 5% of women in 2007. The elective abortion rate increased from 5.52 to 11.49 per 1000 women.

CONCLUSIONS: The factors responsible for the increased rate of elective abortion need further investigation. the rest

Any person with common sense could cue the researchers that the more casual sex one has, the greater likelihood there will be of pregnancy, contraception use notwithstanding.