Patterns of contraceptive use before and after an abortion: Results from a nationally representative survey of women undergoing an abortion in France

Background: Using a large national survey of women undergoing an abortion in France, we explore their contraceptive use surrounding an abortion. Study Design: The study comprised a representative sample of 7541 women undergoing an abortion in 2007. We compared their use of contraception before and after the abortion and examined the factors associated with the prescription of a very effective method (IUD, hormonal methods) after the procedure. Results: Sixty-six percent of women were using contraception in the month they conceived. A third of women reported the same use of contraception before and after the abortion, 54% were prescribed a more effective method, while 14% changed to a less effective or no method at all. After the abortion, 77% of women were prescribed a very effective contraceptive. Conclusions: Abortion offers an opportunity to improve contraceptive uptake and a chance for providers to adjust their prescriptions according to the difficulties women experience in their use of contraceptives.