Race-Ethnic and Education Variation in Reasons for LARC Discontinuation in the U.S.

• In Event: Sociology of Population Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2. Reproductive Health

Abstract

Although LARC methods are widely promoted as highly effective and convenient, discontinuation patterns reflect broader social inequalities in health care access, material resources, and reproductive autonomy. Using the National Survey of Family Growth 2017-2019, I seek to answer whether there are race-ethnic and educational differences in reasons for discontinuing long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), focusing on three outcomes: discontinuation to become pregnant, discontinuation due to method expiration with replacement, and discontinuation due to side effects or complications. I also consider whether education confers benefits across race-ethnic groups. I expect White and more educated women will be more likely to discontinue in order to pursue pregnancy or replace an expired device, consistent with lower barriers to enacting their reproductive preferences. In contrast, Black, Latina, and Other race women and women with less education may be more likely to discontinue due to side effects or complications, reflecting greater constraints on their reproductive decision making. Drawing on fundamental cause theory and reproductive justice, this project conceptualizes discontinuation patterns as results of socially constructed hierarchies and aims to understand the mechanisms driving these patterns.

Author

• Savannah Burke, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill