Contraceptive Use and the Need for Family Planning in Puerto Rico

In 1982, 69 percent of Puerto Rican women in union were practicing contraception. Forty-five percent relied on contraceptive sterilization (40 percent, female, and five percent, male), eight percent were using the pill, four percent each, the IUD and the condom, five percent relied on rhythm, and three percent were using other methods. Thus, sterilization is the dominant form of fertility regulation in Puerto Rico, and there is relatively little use of reversible methods for childspacing. Reliance on female sterilization peaks among women in union in the age-group 35-44 (54 percent), whereas pill use is highest among those aged 15-24 (approximately 23 percent). Overall, eight percent of all women aged 15-49 are at risk of unintended pregnancy because they are fecund, sexually active, not pregnant or seeking pregnancy and not using any kind of contraceptive method. However, among women in union, this risk ranges from nine percent among those aged 30-39 to 22 percent among women aged 15-19. Reliance on sterilization rather than reversible methods of contraception is strongly influenced by socio-demographic variables. Women with less than a high school education, the wives of blue-collar workers, women living outside of the major cities and those born in Puerto Rico depend upon sterilization more than do women with a college education, the wives of white-collar employees, women living in cities and those born outside of the country. These findings point to the need for improved availability of reversible family planning services, especially for young women, and those whose childbearing is incomplete.