Table 2

Personal Belief about Stages at which Birth Control Methods May Act (n = 618)

Birth Control Methods
Percentage Responding (a)



Stage 1 (b)
Stage 2 (b)
Stage 3 (b)
Unsure

Abstinence
82.0 (79.0,85.0)
11.2 (8.7,13.7)
5.5 (3.7,7.3)
9.1 (6.8,11.4)
Condoms
86.3 (83.6,89.0)
2.8 (1.5,4.1)
1.9 (0.8,3.0)
7.8 (5.7,9.9)
Sterilization
75.6 (77.2,79.0)
7.8 (5.7,9.9)
5.5 (3.7,7.3)
15.7 (12.8,18.6)
Abortion
6.2 (4.3, 8.1)
14.7 (11.9,17.5)
83.7 (80.8,86.7)
8.4 (6.2,10.6)
RU-486
4.7 (3.0,6.4)
20.4 (17.2,23.6)
54.5 (50.6,58.4)
33.3 (29.6,37.0)
Oral Contraceptives
70.2 (66.6,73.8)
22.3 (19.0,25.6)
3.6 (2.1,5.1)
18.5 (15.4,21.6)
Progestin-only pills
27.4 (23.9,30.9)
13.9 (11.2,16.6)
1.8 (0.8,2.8)
57.3 (53.4,61.2)
Intrauterine Devices
39.5 (35.6–43.4)
20.2 (17.0–23.4)
6.0 (4.1–17.9)
41.1 (37.2–45.0)
Depo-Provera
54.9 (51.0,58.8)
9.1 (6.8,11.4)
2.4 (1.2, 3.6)
35.1 (31.3,38.9)
Emergency Contraception
11.8 (9.3,14.3)
56.6 (52.7,60.5)
18.1 (15.1,21.1)
26.9 (23.4,30.4)
Natural Family Planning
59.1 (55.2,63.0)
8.3 (6.1,10.5)
7.8 (5.7,9.9)
30.9 (27.3,34.5)

(a) Percentages do not add to 100% due to the selection of more than one stage as a response, missing responses and rounding. Parentheses include 95% confidence interval limits.
(b) Stage 1 – Before fertilization – before the uniting of the sperm and the egg; Stage 2 – After fertilization but before implantation; Stage 3 – After implantation in the uterus.