Contraception Biographies: Women’s Contraceptive Method Switching and Union Status

Larry Gibbs, Bowling Green State University

Relatively few women rely on the same type of contraception throughout their reproductive life course, meaning a large proportion of women tend to practice contraceptive switching (Grady et al. 2002). The study of contraceptive method switching is relevant because it is tied to sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy (Vaughan et al. 2008). Prior research has not considered the contemporary context and has been largely limited to married women (Grady et al. 1989, 2002). Drawing on unique data from the 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and using complex contraceptive histories and event history data, I present findings on differences in contraceptive method switching among single, cohabiting and married women.