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Show We used the chi-square statistic for determination of factors associated with possible future use of NFP by univariate analysis and logistic regression for multivariate analysis. The study protocol was approved by the University of Utah Institutional Review Board for Research with Human Subjects. RESULTS After three mailings, 432 women's questionnaires were returned (48%). Of these women, 317 (73%) had not undergone tubal ligation, hysterectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy and reported themselves to be potentially fertile. Of the 432 women, 325 women reported that they were married, and an additional 33 reported that they were single in a committed relationship with a male partner. Thus, 358 women (83%) had male partners eligible to return the men's questionnaire. From these relationships, 312 men returned questionnaires (87%). Two-hundred-sixty (83%) of these men had not undergone vasectomy and reported that they were still potentially fertile. Finally, of men responding to the survey, 181 men (51%) were both potentially fertile themselves, and had a spouse or female partner who was still fertile as well. The remainder of the results for women are analyzed for the 317 women who were potentially fertile, and the 181 men who were potentially fertile and had a female partner who was potentially fertile. Women who were fertile but currently did not have fertile male partners were included so that results could be compared directly with the Missouri study, which included these women (Stanford, Lamaire & Thurman, 1998). The sociodemo-graphic characteristics and reproductive history of the fertile respondents are shown in Table 1, where men and women are compared where applicable. Respondents were mostly white, married, and well educated. About one-fourth (24.0%) of women reported that they did not want to get pregnant for the rest of their lives, while 16.0% of men reported they did not want to have another child. Of women, 56.2% indicated interest in having another child sometime in the future (compared with 50.3% of men), and 10.4% were currently trying to conceive. Table 2 gives family planning methods ever used by the woman or partner (reported by women), and the current use of methods of family planning (reported by men). The most used methods were oral contraceptives (74.1% ever used and 29.3% currently using), and condoms (74.8% ever used and 42.0% currently using). About one third (32.5%) of women had used any method of NFP to try to conceive, and about one fourth (24.6%) to try to avoid pregnancy. Most of the NFP use was the outdated calendar rhythm method. Of the 24 (13.3%) of men and partners currently using any method of NFP, 16 reported they were also currently using one or more other non-NFP methods, most commonly condoms (14 couples). After a brief explanation about modern methods of NFP, we asked women, "How likely do you think it is that you would ever use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy?" Twenty-six percent (26.3%) responded this was very unlikely, 19.7% unlikely, 24.3% unsure, 15.5% likely, and 14.1% very likely. We also asked "How likely do you think it is that you would ever use natural family planning to try to get pregnant?" Nineteen percent (18.7%) responded this was very unlikely, 8.5% unlikely, 16.4% unsure, 30.5% likely, and 25.9% very likely. Combining the categories likely and very likely, 65.0% indicated they were likely to use NFP for one or both purposes. We likewise asked men "How likely do you think it is that you and your partner would ever use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy?" Nineteen percent (19.1%) responded this was very unlikely, 14.6% unlikely, 25.8% unsure. 27.0% likely, and 13.5% very likely. We also asked "how likely do you think it is that you and your partner would ever use natural family planning to try to get pregnant?" Nearly seventeen percent (16.9%) responded this was very unlikely, 6.8% unlikely, 18.6% unsure, 33.3% likely, and 24.3% very likely. Combining the categories likely and very likely, 68.4% indicated they were likely to use NFP for one or both purposes. hi response to an open-ended question of what most women (or most men) would like about NFP, 37.9% of women (18.2% of men) wrote comments indicating that it is "natural," 19.6% of women (3.9% of men) wrote that it has no side effects, 16.7% of women (14.4% of men) noted that it is convenient or easy, 12.6% of women (8.8% of men) cited the low cost, 8.8% of women (5.0% of men) indicated that it helps one to understand one's own body, 6.3% of women (5.0% of men) noted that it is reliable or effective, and 1.9% of women (0.6% of men) referred to the religious or moral acceptability of NFP. When asked what most women (or most men) would not like about NFP, 41.3% of women (18.8% of men) wrote comments indicating that it is not reliable enough, 26.5% of women (12.7% of men) noted that it is not easy or convenient, 9.8% of women (9.4% of men) indicated that NFP interferes with spontaneity, 6.6% of women (14.9% of men) wrote that they were concerned about the required abstinence, 3.8% of women (1.1% of men) had reservations that the self-observation of NFP is messy or unnatural, and 0.6% of women (0% of men) stated that NFP would be unacceptable to their partner. Factors that were associated with possible future use of modern NFP are listed in Table 3. In this table, "likely" and "very likely" to use NFP are collapsed into the single response "likely." Thus, in the overall sample, 56.4% of women (57.6% of men) were likely to use NFP to conceive, and 29.6% of women (40.4% of men) were likely to use NFP to avoid pregnancy. Younger women, women who were currently trying for pregnancy, women who mdicated that they may desire future pregnancy, and women who had previously used any method of NFP were significantly more likely to be potential users of modern NFP to conceive. Similarly among younger age men, currently trying for pregnancy and possibly desiring future pregnancy were associated with higher likelihood of using NFP to try for pregnancy. Women who were currently pregnant and women who had previously used or were currently usingany method of NFP to avoid pregnancy were more likely to use modern NFP to avoid pregnancy. Similarly, men who reported current use of NFP were more likely to use NFP to avoid pregnancy. The following characteristics were not significantly associated with possible future use of NFP (either to conceive or to avoid pregnancy): education, income, marital status, religious affiliation, and past or current use of any non-NFP contraceptive method. In logistic regression models, factors independently associated with likely use of NFP to conceive in women were previous use of any NFP method to conceive (odds ratio [OR] = 3.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8 to 5.9), and possibly desiring future pregnancy (OR = 6.1; 95% CI - 3.2 to 11.5). Similarly in men, factors independently associated with likely use of NFP to conceive were previous use by female partner of any NFP method to conceive (OR = 3.3; 95% CI = 1.4 to 7.8), and possibly desiring future pregnancy (OR =12.3; 95% CI = 4.2 to 36.4). In women, factors independently associated with likely use of NFP to avoid pregnancy were previous use of any NFP method to avoid pregnancy (OR = 4.0; 95% CI = 2.3 to 7.1) and age greater than 30 years (OR = 0.5; 95% CI - 0.3 to 0.9). In men, the only factor independently associated with likely use of NFP to avoid pregnancy was current use of any NFP method (OR = Utah's Health: An Annual Review Volume DC 41 |