RESUMO
PIP: The authors have studied the use and the trend of contraception among North African women who emigrated into France, by consulting a series of 500 medical files. The socioeconomic status of the women is generally very low; request for contraception on the part of married women was only 14% in 1979; parity is not high, and age mostly between 20-30. Women usually approach contraception after delivery or after a spontaneous abortion, when in the hospital, and away from the influence of the Muslim community in which they live. OC (oral contraception) is utilized in 60% of cases, but the continuation rate is very low; in this series there were 52 unwanted pregnancies under OC use, or a Pearl index of 11%. The use of an IUD increased from 20% to 52%, and it is now the method most requested. Expulsion rate is 4% and removal for desire of pregnancy is 22%; in this series the Pearl index with IUD use was 2.6%. 12% of women chose injectable contraception with Depo-Prodasone, which had a Pearl index of 2.7%. Only 6 women chose tubal ligation, although it had been recommended to over 12 women. Mechanical vaginal contraception is not even considered by this particular group of women, among whom resistance toward contraception comes from a traditional way of life in which the husband is the absolute master, and by a misinterpretation of the rules of the Koran.^ieng
