To describe contraceptive use in Australia and in different population subgroups, Data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey 2011 were analysed. Data from 2,677 women aged 18-44 years who were not currently pregnant, who did not have any physical difficulties in getting pregnant, who had not had a hysterectomy, were analysed.
Results: Two thirds (67%) of women used contraception and 83% had ever used contraception. Oral contraception use was most common (32%), followed by condom use (22%), vasectomy (8.5%) and tubal ligation (4.1%). Very few women used long acting reversible methods of injectable contraception (1.6%), the implant (3.6%) and intrauterine devices (3.2%). Contraceptive use increased from 62% among women aged 18-24 years to 74% among women aged 25-29 years, decreased to 66% among women aged 30-34 years and increased again to 70% among women aged 40-44 years. Oral contraception and condoms were more common among younger women and sterilisations were more common among older women. Only 61% of women with no children used contraception compared to 81% of women with three or more children. Women with fewer children were more likely to use oral contraception and condoms while women with more children were more likely to use sterilisations. Women from non-English speaking backgrounds reported lower contraceptive use than women from English speaking backgrounds (50% compared to 71%). Oral contraception was less common (21% vs. 35%) as well as vasectomy (4.3% vs. 9.4%). Indigenous women reported lower contraceptive use than non-Indigenous women (64% compared to 71%). Use of oral contraception was less common among Indigenous women (23% vs. 35%) but tubal ligation was more common (14% vs. 4.1%).
Conclusions: Effort to increase contraceptive use, especially long acting reversible methods, should be focused on identified high risk groups of women.
