Knowledge and practice of periodic abstinence among women in India

The use of contraceptive method to avoid pregnancy is a multifaceted phenomenon. Worldwide, 20 percent of married women of reproductive age are currently using periodic abstinence. To assess the knowledge and practice of periodic abstinence among currently married pregnant women, data were collected from the pregnant women attending the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. One thousand three hundred and thirty one (1331) currently married pregnant women were interviewed face-to-face. Approximately 29.3 percent of women were aware of the abstinence method, 11.5 percent women had history of using it. In-depth finding shows that 84.9 percent women did not have correct knowledge of fertile window of a menstrual cycle. Counseling about the correct fertile window of a menstrual cycle may increase the effectiveness of methods and hence reduce the incidence of unwanted pregnancies.