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40% of women do not use any form of birth control

Adults today may be more educated about the pros and cons of using (or not using) birth control, but that doesn’t mean that those same adults are following through and practicing safe sex.

In Our Control: The Complete Guide to Contraceptive Choices for Women
In Our Control: The Complete Guide to Contraceptive Choices for Women

A recent survey entitled CONTRACEPTION IN AMERICA: A NATIONAL LANDMARK SURVEY OF WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE AND PHYSICIANS TREATING WOMEN asked over 1000 women about their use and preferences for contraception.

The headline is that 2 out of 5 women had not used any form of birth control at all in the previous 30 days (doing math in our head, that 2:5 ratio should be the same as 4:10, which is where Web Watch got 40%; see, math class DOES pay off kids, so pay attention in school).

Some of the other takeaways from the survey include:

  • Of the 43% surveyed who had ever been pregnant, they say that they had one or more accidental pregnancies.  Of those, 50% claim that the cause was due to faulty birth control (broken condom, missed pill).
  • 10% of women claimed they experienced a perceived failure in their birth control method of choice
  • 20% of women were unsure what “hormonal” birth control methods were available

The survey shows that sexually-active women may be talking with their healthcare provider about contraception, but may not be paying attention to what is being told to them.

What does this mean for men?  You may want to be a bit more proactive in having that discussion with your date before the moment arrives and you have to make an impromptu decision.  The way Web Watch sees it, if you’re ready to jump into bed with each other tonight, chances are it will be okay if you wait a day or two to get the proper pharmaceutical supplies first.

And have that talk.  You may be thanking us later.