Association of contraceptive methods with reproductive tract infections among migrant childbearing women in Ningxia and Xinjiang

Objective To investigate the status of contraception and reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and to explore the effect of contraceptive methods on RTIs among female immigrants in western area of China.Methods Between May 2014 and April 2015,a survey was conducted among female immigrants aged 18-49 years selected with multi-stage stratified cluster sampling in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Ningxia) and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang).Information on demography and contraception were collected with a self-administered questionnaire and physical and laboratory examination were carried out to detect RTIs among the participants.Results Of the 1 165 eligible migrant women enrolled in the study,616 were from Ningxia and 549 from Xinjiang.The ratios of contraceptive measures reported by the women were 45.92% for condom,33.82% for intrauterine device,4.64% for sterilization,3.00% for oral contraceptive,and 12.62% for other methods,respectively.The total detection rate of RTIs was 38.28% and the detection rate of bacterial vaginitis and chronic cervicitis were 15.28% and 13.30%.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that using condom during sexual activity could reduce the risk of RTIs,with an odds ratio of 0.76 (95% confidence interval:0.58-0.99) compared to not using condom,after adjusting for residential area,age,education level,occupation,income,and other potential confounders.Conclusion The status of sexual and reproductive health need to be improved among migrant childbearing women in western area of China and using condom during sexual activity could reduce the risk of reproductive tract infections in the women.