Influences of Selected Programmatic Factors on Modern Contraceptive Discontinuation in Vietnam

Mai Do, Johns Hopkins University
Shahina Begum, All India Institute of Medical Sciences
Kumiko Yoshida, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Sirinan Kittisuksathit, Mahidol University
Ashfa Hashmi, Population Council

The study examines influences of selected programmatic factors on the discontinuation of oral pills, IUDs and condoms in Vietnam. Data came from the 1997 DHS. The sample for the analysis consisted of 1,226 women who adopted any of the above-mentioned methods within the three years preceding the survey with 1,358 episodes of use. Forty percent of pill users, 30 percent of condom users and 10 percent of IUDs users stopped using the methods in the first year of use. Method-related problems were the most common reasons for drop-out for all three methods. More frequent visits by family planning field workers to communities were associated with lower failure rates, and surprisingly, also with higher discontinuation due to method-related reasons among pills users. Condom users in communities with a health center that was with more medical equipment experienced significantly lower risks of failures. The results are generalizable to all modern contraceptive users in Vietnam.