Background: Contraceptive efficacy and side effects are primary concerns of women when choosing a contraceptive method.
Study design: This cross-sectional multicenter study was designed to assess the reasons for selecting the contraceptive pill, the skin patch or the vaginal ring in 9700 women, aged 18-49 years, who consulted their doctors for starting or re-initiating combined hormonal contraception. A self-administered questionnaire regarding the reasons for the selection made and for the refusal of the remaining two methods was completed.
Results: The vaginal ring showed the highest acceptance (46%) compared with the pill (39%) and the skin patch (15%), particularly in women aged 35-39 years. The ring and the skin patch were mainly preferred because of the lower probability of inadvertent omission (62% of cases), convenience, and monthly or weekly frequency of use. The pill was preferred because of its proven efficacy (60% of cases) and ease of use. The acceptance of the skin patch increased with age and the pill was mostly accepted only by women in the youngest age groups.
Conclusions: Convenience, frequency of use and lower probability of inadvertent omission were the primary determinants of contraceptive choice rather than the women's profile.