Distribution of ‘usual’ contraceptive method use by relationship duration and relationship status, stratified by age
| Unreliable or no method | Barrier methods | Oral and injectable hormonal methods | LARC | Total | Weighted column % (95% CI) | |||
| % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | % (95% CI) | Unweighted n | Weighted n | Total row % | ||
| Age: 16–24 years | ||||||||
| Relationship duration | ||||||||
| 1 day | 16.3 (11.5 to 22.5) | 33.6 (27.2 to 40.5) | 39.1 (32.5 to 46.2) | 11.0 (7.5 to 16.0) | 272 | 155 | 100 | 18.8 (16.6 to 21.3) |
| >1 day<6 months | 5.2 (3.0 to 8.8) | 39.2 (32.3 to 46.6) | 46.2 (39.4 to 53.1) | 9.4 (6.0 to 14.6) | 233 | 126 | 100 | 15.3 (13.4 to 17.5) |
| ≥6 months<1 year | 10.6 (6.7 to 16.4) | 18.9 (13.6 to 25.8) | 58.4 (50.8 to 65.6) | 12.1 (7.9 to 18.0) | 212 | 117 | 100 | 14.3 (12.4 to 16.4) |
| ≥1 year<3 years | 6.4 (4.3 to 9.6) | 16.4 (12.7 to 21.0) | 60.0 (54.6 to 65.2) | 17.1 (13.4 to 21.7) | 367 | 204 | 100 | 24.8 (22.5 to 27.3) |
| ≥3 years<5 years | 9.2 (5.9 to 13.9) | 24.0 (18.3 to 30.8) | 54.5 (47.2 to 61.6) | 12.3 (8.3 to 17.8) | 224 | 127 | 100 | 15.4 (13.4 to 17.6) |
| ≥5 years | 8.1 (4.4 to 14.4) | 19.3 (13.5 to 26.8) | 53.0 (44.7 to 61.1) | 19.6 (13.8 to 27.3) | 167 | 93 | 100 | 11.4 (9.6 to 13.3) |
| Relationship status | ||||||||
| Recently met | 13.0 (6.1 to 25.5) | 44.8 (32.5 to 57.7) | 31.0 (20.7 to 43.5) | 11.2 (5.5 to 21.5) | 70 | 42 | 100 | 5.1 (4.0 to 6.5) |
| Not steady | 11.8 (8.5 to 16.3) | 32.4 (27.0 to 38.2) | 44.4 (38.2 to 50.8) | 11.4 (8.0 to 15.9) | 332 | 180 | 100 | 21.9 (19.5 to 24.5) |
| Steady* | 6.8 (5.0 to 9.1) | 22.2 (18.9 to 26.0) | 57.7 (53.5 to 61.9) | 13.3 (10.7 to 16.4) | 748 | 398 | 100 | 48.4 (45.4 to 51.3) |
| Married/cohabiting | 11.3 (7.7 to 16.2) | 19.8 (15.5 to 25.0) | 52.1 (46.3 to 57.9) | 16.8 (12.8 to 21.7) | 325 | 203 | 100 | 24.7 (22.3 to 27.2) |
| Total | n | n | ||||||
| Unweighted (n) | 133 | 353 | 771 | 218 | 1475 | 100 | 100 | |
| Weighted (n) | 77 (9.3%; 7.8 to 11.1) | 206 (25.0%; 22.6 to 27.6) | 429 (52.1%; 49.1 to 55.0) | 112 (13.6%; 11.7 to 15.8) | 823 | 100 | 100 | |
| Age: 25–34 years | ||||||||
| Relationship duration | ||||||||
| 1 day | 29.9 (23.2 to 37.7) | 27.5 (21.1 to 35.5) | 29.1 (22.8 to 36.3) | 13.2 (8.8 to 19.3) | 204 | 105 | 100 | 10.3 (9.0 to 11.9) |
| >1 day<6 months | 15.1 (10.1 to 22.0) | 28.3 (19.3 to 39.5) | 42.8 (33.9 to 52.2) | 13.7 (8.8 to 20.7) | 165 | 78 | 100 | 7.7 (6.5 to 9.2) |
| ≥6 months<1 year | 19.4 (12.0 to 29.9) | 22.5 (13.8 to 34.5) | 42.2 (32.6 to 52.3) | 15.9 (9.9 to 24.5) | 121 | 63 | 100 | 6.2 (5.0 to 7.6) |
| ≥1 year<3 years | 18.0 (13.0 to 24.4) | 23.9 (17.3 to 32.1) | 47.1 (39.2 to 55.2) | 10.9 (6.9 to 16.8) | 206 | 113 | 100 | 11.1 (9.5 to 12.9) |
| ≥3 years<5 years | 20.3 (15.4 to 26.3) | 17.8 (13.2 to 23.5) | 50.0 (43.1 to 57.0) | 11.9 (8.2 to 17.1) | 253 | 134 | 100 | 13.3 (11.7 to 15.0) |
| ≥5 years | 16.9 (14.4 to 19.7) | 22.8 (19.8 to 26.0) | 43.5 (40.2 to 46.9) | 16.8 (14.2 to 19.8) | 914 | 521 | 100 | 51.4 (48.6 to 54.1) |
| Relationship status | ||||||||
| Recently met | 17.3 (10.0 to 28.3) | 30.4 (19.8 to 43.6) | 41.9 (30.4 to 54.4) | 10.4 (5.3 to 19.3) | 82 | 42 | 100 | 4.1 (3.2 to 5.2) |
| Not steady | 22.7 (17.3 to 29.1) | 23.6 (17.3 to 31.3) | 40.7 (33.9 to 47.9) | 13.0 (9.1 to 18.1) | 271 | 128 | 100 | 12.6 (10.9 to 14.5) |
| Steady* | 18.7 (15.0 to 23.0) | 18.7 (14.7 to 23.6) | 47.1 (42.1 to 52.3) | 15.5 (12.0 to 19.7) | 439 | 196 | 100 | 19.3 (17.5 to 21.3) |
| Married/cohabiting | 18.2 (15.9 to 20.9) | 24.0 (21.2 to 26.9) | 42.5 (39.4 to 45.7) | 15.3 (13.1 to 17.9) | 1071 | 649 | 100 | 64.0 (61.6 to 66.3) |
| Total | n | n | ||||||
| Unweighted (n) | 357 | 395 | 825 | 286 | 1863 | 100 | 100 | |
| Weighted (n) | 191 (18.8%; 17.0 to 20.9) | 235 (23.2%; 20.9 to 25.6) | 438 (43.2%; 40.7 to 45.7) | 151 (14.9%; 13.1 to 16.8) | 1014 | 100 | 100 | |
| Age: 35–49 years | ||||||||
| Relationship duration | ||||||||
| 1 day | 37.4 (26.6 to 49.5) | 17.2 (9.8 to 28.5) | 24.0 (15.7 to 34.7) | 21.4 (13.2 to 32.9) | 91 | 93 | 100 | 7.2 (5.7 to 9.0) |
| >1 day<6 months | 49.5 (35.6 to 63.5) | 20.4 (11.3 to 33.9) | 11.8 (5.5 to 23.7) | 18.3 (9.1 to 33.4) | 52 | 42 | 100 | 3.2 (2.4 to 4.3) |
| ≥6 months<1 year | 43.5 (30.7 to 57.3) | 21.0 (11.9 to 34.5) | 20.3 (11.6 to 33.1) | 15.1 (7.6 to 27.9) | 58 | 45 | 100 | 3.4 (2.6 to 4.6) |
| ≥1 year<3 years | 42.7 (31.5 to 54.8) | 22.4 (13.6 to 34.7) | 17.9 (10.1 to 30.0) | 16.9 (9.1 to 29.2) | 77 | 67 | 100 | 5.1 (4.1 to 6.5) |
| ≥3 years<5 years | 53.8 (41.6 to 65.7) | 16.4 (9.7 to 26.3) | 17.7 (10.1 to 29.3) | 12.1 (6.0 to 22.7) | 79 | 86 | 100 | 6.6 (5.2 to 8.3) |
| ≥5 years | 35.7 (32.0 to 39.5) | 22.3 (19.3 to 25.5) | 22.8 (19.6 to 26.2) | 19.3 (16.4 to 22.5) | 761 | 974 | 100 | 74.5 (71.8 to 77.1) |
| 37.4 (26.6 to 49.5) | 17.2 (9.8 to 28.5) | 24.0 (15.7 to 34.7) | 21.4 (13.2 to 32.9) | 91 | 93 | 100 | 7.2 (5.7 to 9.0) | |
| Relationship status | ||||||||
| Recently met | 17.0 (7.3 to 34.9) | 25.4 (11.8 to 46.3) | 15.2 (6.5 to 31.7) | 42.3 (24.9 to 61.9) | 29 | 25 | 100 | 1.9 (1.3 to 2.9) |
| Not steady | 52.5 (43.3 to 61.6) | 17.3 (11.9 to 24.4) | 16.3 (10.9 to 23.7) | 13.9 (8.2 to 22.6) | 148 | 125 | 100 | 9.5 (8.0 to 11.3) |
| Steady* | 42.8 (35.4 to 50.5) | 21.8 (15.7 to 29.5) | 19.6 (14.1 to 26.6) | 15.8 (10.9 to 22.4) | 198 | 170 | 100 | 13.0 (11.1 to 15.2) |
| Married/cohabiting | 36.0 (32.3 to 39.7) | 21.8 (18.9 to 25.0) | 23.1 (19.9 to 26.6) | 19.2 (16.5 to 22.3) | 743 | 987 | 100 | 75.5 (72.9 to 78.0) |
| Total | n | n | ||||||
| Unweighted (n) | 449 | 231 | 246 | 192 | 1118 | 100 | 100 | |
| Weighted (n) | 497 (38.1%; 34.9 to 41.3) | 280 (21.4%; 18.9 to 24.1) | 285 (21.8%; 19.2 to 24.7) | 244 (18.7%; 16.3 to 21.3) | 1307 | 100 | 100 | |
Proportions are weighted to account for the survey sampling design and non-response. Total N includes women aged 16–49 years , with at least one previous opposite- sex partner and whose most recent sexual experience was with an opposite- sex partner, who are not currently trying to conceive or are pregnant. A total of 275 women indicated more than one usual method of contraception: 232 women selected an oral and injectable method or LARC in addition to a barrier method, and the more effective method was selected as their usual method.
*Relationship status steady, but not cohabiting.
LARC, long-acting reversible contraception.