RESUMEN
This work was carried out to reveal some socioeconomic characteristics of contraceptive users in the reproductive ages /= 40 years, and reveal the pattern of previous and current contraceptive use among them. The descriptive epidemiological approach was used to carry out this study which was conducted in three Maternal and Child Health [MCH] centers and three specialized family planning [FP] centers in Alexandria. The studied women totaled 136, of them 82 aged /= 40 years [39.7%]. The results showed that about two thirds of studied young or old women were uneducated or had primary or preparatory educational levels [62.2% and 61.1% respectively]. Also, about a half of their husbands had the same low levels of education [54.9% and 51.8% respectively]. About two thirds of older women were working [64.8%]. Moreover, they were more significantly working than the younger ones [X[2] = 16.75]. Manual working was the highest prevalent occupation among the studied women's husbands. Intrauterine device [IUD] was the commonest method used either previously or currently by women in each age group. MCH centers were the commonest source of previous contraception followed by private physicians and pharmacies. Moreover, the commonest reasons behined their discontinuation were complications and desire for pregnancy. The differences between the two groups regarding examinations done before use of current contraceptives and counselling about them were all statistically insignificant. However, urine analysis and haemoglobin percentage were significantly more investigated in young women than in old ones [X[2]= 5.55]