Pandemic changes in U.S. contraceptive use: National survey estimates reveal significant differences by demographic subgroups.

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic brought multiple simultaneous consequences, with high potential to change fertility-related behaviors. We use nationally representative sex and contraceptive use event history calendar measures to demonstrate person-specific changes in contraceptive use after the pandemic, showing differences across demographic subgroups.

STUDY DESIGN

We use data from the first nationally representative web survey of U.S. fertility, fielded in 2020-2022: the American Family Health Study (AFHS). Using responses from 1357 female-identifying respondents ages 18-49, we analyze 26,274 person-months of sex and contraceptive use data spanning directly before and after the beginning of the pandemic to detect change.

RESULTS

Individual-level hazard models of starting and stopping contraception revealed no pandemic-related changes in starting contraception, but significant reductions in the rate of stopping contraception for specific subgroups. Hispanic females reduced their rates of stopping contraceptive use during the pandemic (lowering their odds of stopping use by 71%), ultimately behaving more similarly to individuals from other racial or ethnic subgroups. Additionally, those aged 41 and older significantly reduced their rates of stopping contraceptive use (lowering their odds of stopping use by 78%) relative to other age groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Sudden large-scale health policy changes can produce significant changes in contraceptive use behaviors. The COVID-19 changes interacted with race, ethnicity, and age to produce different changes in contraceptive behaviors among different subgroups of the U.S.