Characteristics of women at risk for pregnancy who use no contraceptive method and reasons given for this

3703 low-income women aged 15-49 were interviewed using a questionnaire about contraceptive use: 2021 lived in the Sao Paulo Brazil metropolitan area 1682 lived in the interior of the state and 178 were married while 132 lived in consensual unions at the risk of pregnancy due to nonuse of contraceptives. 19.4% of nonusers in the metropolitan area and 26.0% in the interior were under age 20 15.0 and 8.1% respectively were aged 35-39 and 24.7 and 22.3% respectively were aged 45-49. Only 12.3% of better-educated women were nonusers in the interior vs. 28.5% of those lacking any education. The percentage of nonusers decreased with the increasing number of children: 50.8% of those without children in the metropolitan area and 48.4% in the interior were nonusers vs. only 14.8% and 17.4% respectively of mothers of 5 or more children. The reasons for failure to use contraceptives included: the desire to have children (34.1%) the difficulty of getting pregnant (31.9%) unfamiliarity with contraceptive methods (21.6%) and diet or nursing (20.2% in the metropolitan area and 12.1% in the interior). Oral contraceptives were unknown to 21.6% the condom to 23.2% and tubal ligation to 29.6%. THe diaphragm was also little known; 95.1% had not heard about it. 45.1% were unfamiliar with IUDs and 39% were ignorant about vasectomies. Finally those who did not know any contraceptive method made up 22.4% of non-users in the metropolitan area and 20.4% in the interior.