Question

Compare a contraceptive's perfect use with its typical use. Discuss factors that may influence each.

Answer 1

The perfect use and typical use rates are the methods used to measure how a contraceptive works among a group of people. Perfect use is known as efficacy and it describes how good a contraceptive is working in a group of people when used as instructed every time when the couple have sex. Typical use is known as effectiveness and it describes how good a contraceptive is working in a group of people using the contraceptives in a “typically” manner.Typical users people are classified as those who use the contraceptives correctly whenever they have sex or the people who use the contraceptives correctly but they don’t use it every time while having sex or the people who use contraceptivese every time they have sex but they are not using it correctly sometimes and lastly the people who don't use contraceptives everytime when they have sex.

If we take the example of male condoms as contraceptives then perfect use and typical use rate of it is measured for one year of using condoms in the group of couples. Suppose after one year the perfect use rate of male condoms in pregnancy is three pregnancies among hundred couples in one year and typical use rate is fifteen pregnancies among hundred couples in one year. This shows that if male condoms are used correctly and as instructed (perfect use) then there are less chances of unintended pregnancies whereas if the male condoms are not used correctly and as instructed (typical use) then there are more chances of unintended pregnancies.

If a couple uses male condoms for one year and for next year uses contraceptive pills and then again for third year uses male condoms then in such scenario perfect and typical rate is measured for two years of use of male condoms and if the couples uses male condoms for consecutive two years then perfect and typical use rate is measured for only one year.