THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- The pill remains one of the most popular methods of birth control for women, along with female sterilization and condoms, but intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants are gaining in popularity, according to a December data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Among the two-thirds of women aged 15 to 44 who used birth control between 2011 and 2013, 16 percent used oral contraceptive pills. Female sterilization was used by 15.5 percent of women, while 9.4 percent used male condoms. IUDs and implants, both types of long-acting reversible contraceptives, were used by 7.2 percent of women.
"Use of long-acting reversible contraceptives is becoming more popular," report author Kimberly Daniels, Ph.D., of the NCHS, told HealthDay. Their use has nearly doubled since the last report on findings from five years earlier, when approximately 3.8 percent of women were using them, Daniels said.
The most popular long-acting reversible contraception is the IUD, used by 3.5 percent of women in 2006 to 2010 and by 6.4 percent of women in 2011 to 2013, according to Daniels. The IUDs available in the United States include two hormonal versions, Mirena and Skyla, and one containing copper, ParaGard. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends these contraception devices as the first option for teens.
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