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Assessment of contraceptive use in Puerto Rico during the 2016 Zika virus outbreak
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Assessment of contraceptive use in Puerto Rico during the 2016 Zika virus outbreak

Sascha R. Ellington, Ruby Serrano Rodriguez, Howard Goldberg, Jeanne Bertolli, Regina M. Simeone, Amilcar Soto Mercado, Karen Pazol, Denise J. Jamieson, Margaret A. Honein, Andrea Swartzendruber, …
Contraception (Stoneham), Vol.101(6), pp.405-411
06/01/2020
DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2020.03.001
PMCID: 8530539
PMID: 32194040

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Abstract

The objectives of this analysis were to 1) estimate prevalence of contraceptive use among women at risk for unintended pregnancy and 2) identify correlates of contraceptive use among women with ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services in Puerto Rico during the 2016 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak. We conducted a cell-phone survey July–November, 2016. Women aged 18–49 years living in Puerto Rico were eligible. We completed 3059 interviews; the overall response rate was 69.2%. After weighting, the data provide population-based estimates. For this analysis, we included women at risk for unintended pregnancy, and assessed ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services in this group, excluding women using permanent contraceptive methods. Most women reported using contraception (82.8%), and use increased with age. Female sterilization and male condoms were most frequently reported (40.8% and 17.1%, respectively). Among women with ongoing or potential need for contraceptive services, 24.7% talked to a healthcare provider about ZIKV, and 31.2% reported a change in childbearing intentions due to ZIKV. Most women were at least a little worried about getting infected with ZIKV (74.3%) or having a baby with a birth defect (80.9%). Being very worried about getting infected with ZIKV and already having Zika were significantly associated with use of any contraception (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03–1.38 and 1.32, 95% CI: 1.01–1.72, respectively). These findings underscore the need for regular contraceptive prevalence studies to inform programs about contraceptive needs, especially during public health emergencies. When the 2016 Zika virus outbreak began in Puerto Rico there were no recent population-based data available on contraceptive prevalence. To fill this information gap, we conducted a population-based survey. Our findings provided baseline contraceptive prevalence estimates to support response planning and allocation of health resources.
Contraceptive prevalence Population data Public health emergencies Puerto Rico Reproductive health survey Zika virus

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