Study Shows Adolescents' Contraceptive Use Has Higher Failure Rate

Guttmacher Institute news release: Adolescent Women's Contraceptive Use is Less Consistent than that of Adult Women, With a Much Higher Failure Rate:

New Analysis Compares Evidence from More Than 40 Countries

A new study of women’s contraceptive use around the world finds that sexually active 15–19-year-olds are more likely than their 20–49-year-old counterparts to use contraceptives inconsistently and, on average, experience a 25% higher rate of contraceptive failure.

The study’s authors, Ann K. Blanc of EngenderHealth et al., believe that compared with adult women, adolescent women face more obstacles to consistent contraceptive use—including feeling embarrassed about seeking out contraceptives, not being able to afford them and not knowing how to use them correctly—and may be more likely to abandon a method and try another if they experience side effects, which often leads to gaps in contraceptive use. The authors also note that, in comparison with adult women, adolescents tend to use methods with higher failure rates, to use methods less effectively and to be more fertile—all factors that increase the risk of unintended pregnancy. . . .