Table 2.
Proportion of PCPs underestimating, correctly estimating and overestimating US unintended pregnancy rate, risk of pregnancy with no contraception and typical-use failure rates (n=172)
| Question | Published rate per 100 woman–yearsa |
Underestimate n (%) |
Correctb n (%) |
Overestimate n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unintended pregnancy rate in the United States | 49% | 93 (54.1) | 67 (38.9) | 12 (7.0) |
| Risk of pregnancy without contraception | 85% | 140 (81.4) | 9 (5.2) | 23 (13.4) |
| Typical-use failure rate of condoms | 15% | 107 (62.2) | 19 (11.1) | 46 (26.7) |
| Typical-use failure rate of oral contraceptive pills | 8% | 147 (85.5) | 18 (10.5) | 7 (4.1) |
| Typical-use failure rate of contraceptive injections | 3% | 27 (15.7) | 134 (77.9) | 11 (6.4) |
| Typical-use failure rate of IUDs | <1% | 0 (0.0) | 142 (82.6) | 30 (17.4) |
a
Source: the 19th edition of Contraceptive Technology
b
Responses were considered to be “correct” if they were within ±2 percentage points of published “typical-use failure rates.”