Objectives: To describe the current status of the decision-making process with regard to the use of contraceptive methods among internal migrant workers in three large Chinese cities.
Methods: A total of 4313 sexually active internal migrant workers were recruited in Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. Information on contraceptive use was collected by means of questionnaires.
Results: Contraceptive prevalence was 86% among unmarried sexually active migrant workers and 91% among married workers. The main contraceptive methods used by married migrants were the intrauterine device (51%), condoms (25%) and female/male sterilisation (17%); the main methods resorted to by unmarried, sexually active migrants were condoms (74%) and oral contraceptives (11%). The contraceptive method applied by 20% of married respondents had been selected by other people, without they themselves having their share in an informed choice. Adopting the contraceptive decisions made by others was associated with being a married migrant, a construction or service worker, a rural-urban migrant, a migrant living in collective or rented rooms, or a migrant with more children.
Conclusions: Many internal migrants in these large cities did not choose their contraceptive method on their own. Efforts enabling and encouraging migrants to make informed choices are needed.