Oral contraception in Melbourne, 1961-1971

Abstract

Since recent developments in the theory of how contraception interacts with other factors to reduce fertility had indicated that the advent of oral contraception could have had a significant impact upon fertility patters, and since no previous research anywhere had been able to link the decline in fertility which had been observed in a number of countries (over the same period in which oral contraceptives came into substantial use) to the employment of this highly efficient method, an in-depth evaluation of the effects of this important phenomenon was undertaken. Using a probability sample of the Melbourne Metropolitan Area, month-by-month data on use of oral contraceptives by individual women was collected at a time when it was still possible to capture the initial stages of growth in use of the new method. These data were utilized to prepare a detailed longitudinal and cross-sectional description of the adoption of oral contraception. Show more