One third of Irish women do not use contraception

One in three Irish women do not use any form of contraception and almost one in 10 rely on natural methods.

Even when women planning to have a child this year are excluded, there are still one in five not protecting themselves against pregnancy.

An online study of 681 women aged 18 to 45 found more than a quarter (27%) use condoms, with the same numbers using the pill. One in 20 women starts using hormonal contraception within weeks of beginning a new relationship, with 16% using it within a month.