National Survey of Family Growth

Key Statistics from the National Survey of Family Growth – C Listing

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Childlessness

Percent distribution of women aged 15-49 by childlessness status:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Not childless (1 or more births) 58.1 (1.21) 55.2 (1.24)
Childless (0 births) 41.9(1.21) 44.8 (1.24)
Voluntarily childless
(expect none, physically able to have children)		 7.6 (0.57) 9.8 (0.77)
>Nonvoluntarily childless
(expect none, physically unable to have children)		 3.3 (0.41) 3.2 (0.33)
Temporarily childless
(expect 1 or more children)		 31.0 (1.13) 31.8 (1.05)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Cigarette smoking

In the last 12 months

Percent distribution of women and men 15-49 years of age by smoking experience in last 12 months (12 months prior to interview):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Women Men Women Men
Percent (SE)
Never smoked at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime 70.9 (1.49) 64.0 (1.42) 71.7 (1.24) 62.9 (1.24)
Ever smoked at least 100 cigarettes in lifetime, but not in last 12 months 10.3 (0.68) 13.2 (0.75) 10.1 (0.73) 14.9 (0.77)
Smoked in last 12 months 18.8 (1.41) 22.9 (1.19) 18.2 (1.00) 22.3 (1.13)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS based on ACASI questions.

During most recent pregnancy

Percentage of women 15-49 years of age who smoked during their most recent pregnancy ending within 5 years of interview (if most recent pregnancy did not end in abortion):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Smoked during their most recent pregnancy 11.6 (1.26) 8.8 (1.32)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Cohabitation with the opposite sex

Currently cohabiting

Percentage of women and men 15-49 years of age who are currently cohabiting with an opposite-sex partner:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Women 13.2 (0.89) 13.9 (0.72)
Men 11.9 (0.83) 12.0 (0.79)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Ever cohabited

Percentage of women and men 15-49 years of age who have ever cohabited with an opposite-sex partner:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Women 56.9 (1.82) 58.9 (1.26)
Men 52.1 (1.54) 54.3 (1.48)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Condom use

Condom use at first sex

Percentage of sexually experienced women and men 15-49 years of age reporting condom use at first sexual intercourse:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Women
55.1 (1.62)
58.5 (1.39)
Men
64.9 (1.68)
65.8 (1.05)

Note: Sexually experienced here means they have ever had sexual intercourse.
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Percentage of female and male teenagers 15-19 years of age reporting condom use at first sex:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Female teens
63.4 (4.53)
64.5 (4.13)
Male teens
82.4 (2.86)
86.3 (1.98)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Consistency of condom use

Percent distribution by consistency of condom use (during the prior 4 weeks) among unmarried women and men 15-49 years of age who ever used a condom and who had sexual intercourse during the 4 weeks prior to interview:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Women  Men  Women  Men 
Percent (SE)
None of the time 67.1 (1.95) 51.3 (2.18) 68.1 (2.36) 55.3 (2.24)
Some of the time 7.8 (0.96) 15.1 (1.78) 7.6 (0.96) 11.0 (1.24)
Every time 25.0 (1.73) 33.6 (1.86) 24.7 (2.20) 33.8 (2.28)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Contraception

Ever use of contraceptive methods

Percentage of women who have ever used the specified contraceptive method (among women 15-49 who have ever had sexual intercourse):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Any method of contraception 99.2 (0.23) 99.2 (0.17)
Male condom 94.0 (0.63) 94.8 (0.45)
Pill 80.5 (0.98) 78.9 (1.02)
Withdrawal 65.9 (1.29) 66.0 (1.37)
3-month injectable (Depo-Provera) 24.2 (1.22) 25.0 (1.13)
Female sterilization 21.5 (1.42) 20.7 (1.07)
Calendar rhythm, Standard Days, or Cycle Beads 18.3 (1.10) 17.1 (0.93)
Male sterilization 14.7 (0.99) 14.1 (0.86)
Emergency contraception 22.0 (0.96) 25.1 (0.94)
Contraceptive patch 8.7 (0.63) 7.8 (0.55)
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) (Intrauterine device or contraceptive implant) 23.5 (1.00) 25.9 (1.12)
      Intrauterine device (IUD) 18.9 (0.87) 21.5 (0.96)
      Contraceptive implant 5.6 (0.50) 5.8 (0.46)
Natural family planning1 3.5 (0.50) 3.7 (0.50)

1Refers to safe period by temperature or cervical mucus test.

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Current use of contraceptive methods

Percentage of women 15-49 years of age using specified contraceptive method in month of interview:

C Listing Tables
2015-20171 2017-20192
Percent (SE)
Not currently using contraception (currently pregnant, postpartum, trying to get pregnant,
not having sex, etc.)		 35.1 (1.22) 34.7 (0.98)
Percentage using any contraceptive method 64.9 (1.22) 65.3 (0.98)
Pill 12.6 (0.71) 14.0 (0.83)
Female sterilization 18.6 (1.31) 18.1 (0.95)
Male condom 8.7 (0.69) 8.4 (0.61)
Male sterilization 5.9 (0.58) 5.6 (0.53)
Long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARC) (Intrauterine devices or contraceptive implant) 10.3 (0.61) 10.4 (0.76)
      Intrauterine device (IUD) 7.9 (0.50) 8.4 (0.61)
      Contraceptive implant 2.3 (0.33) 2.0 (0.27)
Withdrawal 3.9 (0.44) 3.7 (0.41)
Depo-Provera 2.1 (0.26) 2.0 (0.23)
Calendar rhythm 1.3 (0.25) 1.4 (0.22)
Natural family planning 0.2 (0.12) 0.3 (0.13)

Notes: Women could be using more than one method in the month of interview. In this table, women are classified roughly according to the one most effective contraceptive method they are using. Additional methods women may be using are not shown here.

Sources: 1NCHS Data Brief no. 327
2NCHS Data Brief no. 388
Special tabulation by NCHS

Leading current contraceptive method by marital/cohabiting status

Leading current contraceptive method among women 15-49 years of age by marital/cohabiting status and percentage of contraceptive users using that method:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Method(s) (Percent, SE)
Never married, not cohabiting Pill (43.7, 2.28) Pill (45.5, 2.03)
Currently married Female sterilization (36.6, 2.83) Female sterilization (38.5, 2.33)
Currently cohabiting1 Female sterilization (30.6, 3.96); Pill (22.3, 3.21); Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) (22.6, 2.88) Female sterilization (28.2, 3.86); Pill (26.9, 3.78); LARC (22.9, 2.59)
Formerly married, not cohabiting Female sterilization (61.7, 3.77) Female sterilization (61.9, 3.72)

1No single leading method based on statistical significance testing.
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Leading method used at first sexual intercourse

Leading contraceptive method used at first intercourse (among men and women 15-49 years of age who ever had intercourse):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Method (Percent, SE)
Women Male condom (55.1, 1.62) Male condom (58.5, 1.39)
Men Male condom (64.9, 1.68) Male condom (65.8, 1.05)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Method used at last (most recent) sexual intercourse

Contraceptive method used by women 15-49 years of age or their partner at last sexual intercourse (among women who had intercourse within 12 months of interview):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Any method 80.7 (1.09) 81.1 (1.01)
Male Condom 20.9 (1.24) 20.9 (0.93)
Pill 14.6 (0.87) 15.8 (1.00)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

 

Contraceptive method used by men 15-49 years of age or their partner at last sexual intercourse (among men who had intercourse within 12 months of interview):

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent (SE)
Any method 76.8 (1.02) 75.4 (1.09)
Male Condom 28.3 (1.37) 28.4 (1.25)
Pill 20.2 (1.10) 20.5 (1.25)

Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Contraceptive method discontinuation

Percentage of women 15-49 years of age in 2015-2017 and 2017-2019 ever using specified method who discontinued (stopped) use due to dissatisfaction, and leading reason for discontinuation:

C Listing Tables
2015-2017 2017-2019
Percent discontinued use % (SE) Leading reasons: % (SE) Percent discontinued use % (SE) Leading reasons: % (SE)
Condom
8.3 (0.70)
Decreased the woman’s sexual pleasure: 44.4 (3.93)
8.3 (0.76)
Decreased the woman’s sexual pleasure: 44.3 (3.99); partner didn’t like it: 36.8 (3.25)1
Pill
34.0 (1.24)
Side effects: 64.4 (2.21)
34.6% (1.37)
Side effects: 63.5 (2.28)
IUD (Intrauterine device)
33.8 (2.25)
Side effects: 64.2 (4.26)
33.1% (2.13)
Side effects: 65.3 (3.88)

1No single leading reason based on statistical significance testing.
Source: Special tabulation by NCHS

Page last reviewed: June 29, 2022
Content source: National Center for Health Statistics