Contraceptive utilization, United States

Data collected in 1973 on the use of contraception by currently married women, never married women with offspring of their own living in the home, and widowed, divorced, and separated women, are presented in a series of tables. The percentage of women using contraception and the contraceptive methods are distributed by race and age of the respondent and by various socioeconomic variables. The proportion of married couples using contraception steadily increased from 50.3% in 1960 to 69.6% in 1973. In 1973, 12.8 million couples were using the pill, IUD, or sterilization. Most noncontracepting young wives aged 15-29 were pregnant, postpartum, or trying to become pregnant. In couples where the wife was white, Jewish couples were most contraceptive users (84.9%), Protestants (72%), and Catholics (70.4%). Protestants were more likely to use modern methods. In 1973, 43% of the widowed, divorced, and separated women used a contraceptive method; 2.9% were pregnant or postpartum, 9% were sterile; and 45.1% were nonusers. More women under 30 used contraceptives (52.5%). The pill, IUD and sterilization were the preferred methods among most groups of married, never married, and previously married women. The proportion of currently married women using contraception was lowest for women with no live births or 1 live birth. It was highest for women with 2-4 live births.