The usage and discontinuation of contraceptive methods.

Objective: This study aims to determine the rates of contraceptive discontinuation and usage failure and to examine their relation with termination of pregnancy.

Materials And Methods: This is a descriptive (cross-sectional) type of study. The study population was chosen among women treated at a state hospital in Karaman City, located in the southern part of Turkey. A total of 695 women were interviewed for the present study. Data were collected using a face-to-face interview technique with the questionnaire developed by the researchers. Chi-square test was applied as the significance test.

Results: While 44.3% and 23.7% of the women used medical and traditional methods of contraception, respectively, 32.0% did not use any method at all. Sixty percentage of the unintended pregnancies were terminated. Unintended pregnancy rate due to use of the withdrawal method was significantly high (p < 0.000). For the reasons of women's discontinuation of family planning methods, it was observed that both usage failure and unintended pregnancy were among the top reasons for the discontinuation of medical methods; discontinuation of the withdrawal method was due to unintended pregnancies.

Conclusions: Withdrawal users have the highest unintended pregnancy rates. Most of these unintended/unplanned pregnancies are terminated. To increase the rate of use of medical contraceptive methods, users should be provided with adequate and high-quality consultancy services and evaluation of the applicant should be in accordance with the WHO criteria.