Patterns of Contraceptive Use before and after an Abortion: Results from a Large Nationally Representative Survey of Women Undergoing an Abortion in France

Caroline Moreau, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
James Trussell, Princeton University
Nathalie Bajos, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)

Abortion is a common reproductive health event in France, concerning about 14.8% of women aged 15 to 49 each year, a rate which is among the highest in Western Europe. We use data from a large national survey of women undergoing an abortion in France (2007), comprising a representative sample of 7,541 women in Metropolitan France to explore their contraceptive situation at the time of conception and after the abortion. Special attention is drawn to possible variations in women's contraceptive profile at the time of conception according to their age, socioeconomic background or geographical origin. We complement this cross-sectional analysis with a longitudinal analysis exploring the women's individual contraceptive paths around the time of the abortion (at the time of conception and the post-abortion contraceptive prescription). Finally, we investigate the factors associated with the use of highly effective methods after the abortion.