Cross-sectional study of contraceptive use among Chinese women of reproductive age: results based on a mobile application (APP)-derived data

Purpose To evaluate the contraceptive status among Chinese women of reproductive age and factors associated with contraceptive methods. Methods A cross-sectional study from November 2015 to January 2016 was conducted. We used APP to collect demographics and contraceptive use information of women aged 14–44 years in China. Results A total of 23,669 women completed the study. After data cleaning, 19,768 (83.5%) women were included in the final analysis. The prevalence of contraceptive use was 78.9%; while 21.05% of women did not use any method, condoms (40.10%), rhythm, or withdrawal (31.03%) were the most commonly used methods. When contraceptive methods were divided into four categories—long-acting contraceptives (LAC), short-acting contraceptive (SAC), Others, and “No use”—the prevalence was 6.1% (601/19,678), 40.8% (8022/19,678), 35.1% (6912/19,678), and 21.1% (4143/19,678), respectively. Women with a high level of education, being unmarried, and sexually active women tended to choose SAC; married women were associated with LAC usage. Women with irregular menstrual cycle used a high proportion of emergency contraception. Conclusions The prevalence of contraceptive use was 78.9%, with condom use being most prominent. Young women of reproductive age have low awareness of contraception. Relevant departments should take necessary measures to improve this situation.