Economic analysis of contraceptives for women.

Objective: To examine from the health care services payer perspective the economic consequences of contraceptives available to women in the United States.

Methods: A Markov model was constructed to compare effectiveness and costs among nine contraceptive methods (including 3-month injectable, oral contraceptives, intrauterine device (IUD), intrauterine system (IUS), barrier methods and surgical methods). Primary health states included initial/continued use, method failure and method discontinuation with transitions every year for 5 years.