BIRTH CONTROL METHODS AMONG WOMEN OF ERBIL GOVERNORATE.

Background and objectives:- Birth control or contraception or fertility control refers to the methods which are used to prevent pregnancy. About 45% of married women worldwide who are able to bear children use one or more method of contraception. In this study we assessed the methods of birth control which are used by women and we found out the correlation of the methods with the women's socio-demographic characteristics. Methods:- This analytical cross sectional study had been conducted on 1527 women who visited the hospitals and health centers of Erbil Governorate, the capital of Kurdistan region of Iraq. Search engine, review of literature and data analysis had been made during the period 1st of March to 1st of May 2016. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used through the Microsoft Access Database and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, Version 21). Bivariate correlations were used for data analysis. The P value of ? 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results:- The mean (±SD) age of the 1527 studied women was 37.06 ± 9.69 years ranging from 16 to 80 years. The most commonly used birth control method was cumulative methods including vasectomy, injectables, sterilization and different fertility awareness methods. The intrauterine contraceptive device (IUCD) was the most used method. Pills, and condoms came at the end of the list. About 14.9% of the women didn't use any type of birth control. Conclusions:- Collaborative teamwork of different specialties is necessary for conduction of such research. Selection of the contraception types should be done by specialized physicians. Birth control describers must take into consideration the women with some habits and conditions like smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood sugar or migraines, and menopause in order to avoid stroke and other complications of the pills in women.