Current contraceptive use and variation by selected characteristics among women aged 15–44: United States, 2011–2013

Objective—This report describes current contraceptive use among women of childbearing age (ages 15–44) during 2011–2013. Current contraceptive use is defined as use during the month of interview, not for a specific act of sexual intercourse. This report’s primary focus is describing patterns of contraceptive use among women who are currently using contraception, by social and demographic characteristics. Data from 2002 and 2006–2010 are presented for comparison. Methods—Data for the 2011–2013 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) were collected through in-person interviews in respondents’ homes. The 2011–2013 NSFG, a nationally representative survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, was based on interviews with 10,416 women and men aged 15–44 in the U.S. household population. This report is based on the sample of 5,601 women interviewed in 2011–2013, with a response rate of 73.4%. Results—Among women currently using contraception, the most commonly used methods were the pill (25.9%, or 9.7 million women), female sterilization (25.1%, or 9.4 million women), the male condom (15.3%, or 5.8 million women), and long-acting reversible contraception (LARC)—intrauterine devices or contraceptive implants (11.6%, or 4.4 million women). Differences in method use were seen across social and demographic characteristics. Comparisons between time points reveal some differences, such as higher use of LARC in 2011–2013 compared with earlier time points.