Table 2.
Mean importance score for contraceptive attributes and frequencies of attributes being ranked as the top most important factor and among the top three most important factors in contraceptive decision making.
| Mean importance score (SD) (n=2,590) |
Most important attribute N (%) (n=2476)a |
Ranked among the top 3 most important attributes N (%) (n=2476)* |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Effectiveness | 2.97 (0.18) | 1093 (44.1) | 2084 (84.2) |
| Safety | 2.96 (0.22) | 944 (38.1) | 1679 (67.8) |
| Affordability | 2.61 (0.61) | 77 (3.1) | 649 (26.2) |
| The method is long lasting | 2.58 (0.61) | 38 (1.5) | 421 (17.0) |
| Forgettable | 2.54 (0.66) | 75 (3.0) | 461 (18.6) |
| Health care provider's recommendation | 2.37 (0.67) | 21 (0.8) | 147 (5.9) |
| Not having irregular or unpredictable bleeding | 2.32 (0.68) | 21 (0.8) | 231 (9.3) |
| Whether it protects against sexually transmitted infections | 2.20 (0.83) | 46 (1.9) | 300 (12.1) |
| Side effects | 2.20 (0.83) | 128 (5.2) | 1105 (44.6) |
| Having a regular period every month | 1.99 (0.78) | 23 (0.9) | 217 (8.8) |
| Partner's opinion | 1.56 (0.71) | 5 (0.2) | 59 (2.4) |
| Nobody knows that you are using the birth control method | 1.38 (0.66) | 1 (0.0) | 30 (1.2) |
| Family's opinion | 1.33 (0.60) | 2 (0.1) | 16 (0.6) |
| Religious community's opinion | 1.22 (0.52) | 1 (0.0) | 15 (0.6) |
| Friend's opinion | 1.21 (0.49) | 0 (0.0) | 10 (0.4) |
a
Data missing for 114 participants who did not complete this question.