Determinants of Contraceptive Discontinuation for Method-Related Reasons: Results from a Population Based Cohort of French Women

Caroline Moreau, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
Nathalie Bajos, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)
Jean Bouyer, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)

Contraception is highly medicalized in France, where 82 % of contraceptive users use very effective methods. In the same time, unintended pregnancies are frequent: one in every three pregnancies is unintended, 62% ending in an abortion. Discontinuation of contraceptive use may be a significant contributor to such high rates of unintended pregnancies. In a first analysis of contraceptive discontinuation, we found wide variations in contraceptive discontinuation rates by methods. These differentials may reflect differences in user characteristics or previous experience with contraceptive methods which we would like to elucidate in this study. We use data from the COCON survey, a population-based cohort exploring contraceptive practices in France (2,863 women 18-44 years) to explore the determinants of contraceptive discontinuation for method-related reasons according to the principal contraceptive methods used in France (IUD, pills, and condoms). We further explore the determinants of oral contraceptive discontinuation according to the pill composition (oestrogen dosage).