Religiosity and contraceptive method choice: the Jewish population of Israel.

The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between religiosity and contraceptive method choice among users of contraception. The authors analyze a representative sample of 1751 married urban Israeli Jewish women interviewed in 1987-88. The authors' findings indicate that the contraceptive choices of religious women are determined largely by considerations unrelated to religious doctrine. A combination of factors, including the suitability of specific methods to fertility control needs, peer influences, and other cultural effects, appear to modify the acceptance and application of a particular religious theology.