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American Public Health Association
133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition
December 10-14, 2005
Philadelphia, PA
APHA 2005
 
3130.0: Monday, December 12, 2005 - Table 5

Abstract #114512

Contraceptive use among low income Latina immigrants

Isabel Cristina Garces, MPH, Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 631 Medical Towers, 1717 11th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35205, 205 975 7615, isabelg@uab.edu and Isabel C. Scarinci, PhD, MPH, Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, MT 609, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294.

This study examined: (1) whether there were differences in contraceptive use between low-income Latina immigrants and low-income non-Latinas; (2) ethnic differences regarding reproductive health and contraceptive use knowledge; and (3) which demographic factors were associated with contraceptive use among low-income Latina immigrants. Participants included 238 low-income women between the ages of 17 and 43 (X=26), attending a WIC clinic. Approximately half of the sample were Latinas (52.3%) and 47.3% were non-Latinas (33.9% African Americans, 9.2% Whites, and 4.6% other). Latinas reported significantly less number of years of schooling, were less likely to have health insurance, and more likely to be married or living with a partner than non-Latinas (p's<.05). Latinas had less knowledge regarding reproductive health and contraceptive use (p's <.05) than non-Latinas. Contraceptive use was significantly lower among Latinas than non-Latinas (48.8% vs. 77.9%, p<.0001). The main reasons for not using contraceptives among Latinas were that they were currently pregnant (17%), just had a baby (14%), did not have a partner (11%), and partner's opposition (9.4%). Among non-Latinas the main reasons were desire of pregnancy (21%), did not have a partner (21%), currently pregnant (16.6%), and side-effects (16.6%). Among Latinas, women living with a partner but not married were less likely to use contraceptive methods than married women (69.2% vs. 44.7%, p=.007). Latinas were less likely to use the pill (11.3% vs. 30.7%, p<.0001), and to have had tubal ligation (3.2% vs. 15.8%, p=.001) than non-Latinas. Research and clinical implications of these findings will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Immigrant Women, Reproductive Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Toward Effective Reproductive Health Programs: Challenges and Lessons

The 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition (December 10-14, 2005) of APHA