A COMPARISON OF CONTRACEPTIVE HABITS AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME AT 19 YEARS OF AGE IN 2 COHORTS OF SWEDISH WOMEN BORN 1962 AND 1972

The prevalence of contraception and pregnancy outcome in two represent ative samples of 19-year-old women resident in the city of Goteborg, b orn in 1962 (n = 596) and 1972 (n = 641), respectively, was assessed a nd compared using a postal questionnaire technique. The prevalence of different contraceptive techniques was as follows (62/72): Oral contra ception (OC) alone 44%/35%, (p<0.001); OC + condom 1%/12%, p<0.001; in trauterine device 4%/1%, p<0.001; condom only 11%/14%; depot gestagen 0%/0.3%; no contraception 40%/38%. The median duration of oc use was 1 5 and 14 months, respectively. Fear of OCs was the commonest reason gi ven for cessation of OC in the 62 cohort and that contraception was no longer required in the 72 cohort. The proportion of women who gave th e latter explanation for cessation of OC had increased (p<0.001) from 10% in 1981 to 57% in 1991, indicating that young women in Sweden now tend not to continue with OCs when a relationship ends. Although the p revalence of cigarette smoking was reduced (p<0.05 in the 72 cohort co mpared to the 62 cohort), there was still an over-representation of sm okers in both cohorts among contractraceptive users (p<0.001) and in w omen who had been pregnant (p<0.001) or undergone an abortion (p<0.001 ). Pregnancies were reported by 11% of the women from the 62 cohort an d by 23% from the 72 cohort. A greater proportion (p<0.001) of pregnan cies terminated in legal abortion in the 72 cohort (61%) compared to t he 62 cohort (50%). The medical complication rate following legal abor tion was lower (p<0.05) in the 72 cohort compared to the 62 cohort.