The last decade has witnessed initiatives to expand access to contraceptives in Brazil. However, the last population-based study on contraception was undertaken in 2006. A household survey in 2015 investigated contraceptive practices in women 15 to 44 years of age living in the city of São Paulo. The current study selected data on young women 15 to 19 years of age. The objectives were to identify the prevalence of contraception, the contraceptives used, sources, and differences in contraceptive practices. The young women are part of a probabilistic study sample. Differences in contraception use were compared by multiple logistic regression analysis. A total of 633 young women were interviewed, of whom 310 (48.5%) were sexually initiated. Of these, 60% reported emergency contraception use at least once in their lives. Emergency contraception use was directly proportional to age and lifetime number of partners. Prevalence of contraception was 81%. The odds of current contraception use were higher among young women residing in the health district of the city with the better social conditions, Catholics, those who reported sexual relations in the previous 30 days, and those with history of an obstetrics and gynaecology visit in the previous year, and inversely proportional to the lifetime number of sex partners. Male condoms and the pill were the most common methods (28.2% and 23%). Most of the women purchased their contraceptives in retail pharmacies (75.2%), and the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) was only a significant source for injectable hormonal contraceptives. Government support for women’s sexual and reproductive rights is still insufficient.
Keywords:
Contraception; Contraceptive Agents; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Adolescent