- What does the Pearl indicator tell you?
- Pearl index of different methods of contraception
- The Pearl Index may have different values
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The Pearl Index evaluates the effectiveness of a given contraceptive method. It was invented in 1932 by Raymond Pearl and it describes the number of unwanted pregnancies resulting from regular sexual intercourse in 100 couples using a given method of contraception. Find out what the Condom, birth control pills and other ways to protect yourself against pregnancy have.
The Pearl Indexwas invented by Raymond Pearl, an American biologist and statistician. This scientist developed an equation to calculate the effectiveness of individual contraceptive methods, or more precisely: the failure rate of a given agent in preventing pregnancy.
What does the Pearl indicator tell you?
Pearl Indexrepresents the number of unwanted pregnancies that occurred as a result of regular sexual intercourse in 100 couples using a given method of contraception for a year. Therefore, the lower the Pearl Index value, the more effective the chosenmethod of contraceptionis. For example, the index 3 means that out of 100 couples using a given method of contraception, 3 of them became pregnant.
In the absence of any security measures, the Pearl Index is 80-90, which means that for 100 pairs just this number (i.e. 80 to 90) will be expected to have a baby.
Pearl index of different methods of contraception
Below we present a comparison of contraceptive methods in terms of the Pearl index. Methods with an index of up to 2 are considered reliable (let's recall - index 2 means that out of one hundred pairs, as a result of regular intercourse, 2 women become unplanned), methods with an index of 2 to 5 are moderately effective, and methods with an index of 2 to 5 are considered reliable. too unsuccessful.
| METHOD TYPE | PEARL INDICATOR |
| monophasic contraceptive pill (e.g. Yasmin, Logest) | 0.2 - 0.5 |
| sequential contraceptive pill (e.g. Qlaira) | 0.2 - 1.4 |
| computers of the series Lady-Comp, Baby-Comp and Pearly | 0.64 |
| vaginal ring (NuvaRing) | 0.65 |
| two-phase contraceptive pill (e.g. Anteovin) | 0,7 |
| contraceptive patch | 0.9 |
| mini-pill (one-component - e.g. Cerazette, Azalia) | 1 - 3 |
| Rötzer's symptomatic thermal method | 1 - 3 |
| intrauterine device (spiral) | 1- 3 |
| condom | 3 - 7 |
| female condom | 5 - 25 |
| vaginal spermicides | 8 - 36 |
| intermittent ratio | 10 -35 |
|
no contraception | 80 - 90 |
The Pearl Index may have different values
Although the Pearl Index seems simple, in many sources we can find different index values for the same contraceptives. Where does this difference come from?
Sometimes, the effectiveness of the method resulting from clinical trials (specialized tests in laboratory conditions) is higher than in everyday life. Such a problem is often encountered especially in the case of contraceptive pills, because many women forget to take a pill (every second woman in the United States misses 1 tablet in a cycle, and 1/5 forgets two or more), or as a result of interactions with various medications (antibiotics). , antidepressants) the effectiveness of the tablet is greatly reduced. The effectiveness of barrier methods (condoms, vaginal membranes) depends primarily on the skillful putting on of a given agent, and the effectiveness of natural methods - on the knowledge and experience of the woman.
An interesting alternative are therefore the Lady-Comp, Baby-Comp and Pearly cycle computers, which, being a certified medical device for contraception, are as effective as pills, but without the risk of side effects, and the use of the cycle computer does not require specialist knowledge or skills.
Worth knowingCurrently, the use of the Pearl index is being abandoned in favor of presenting the effectiveness of contraceptives as a percentage. This method is recommended, among others, by World He alth Organization (WHO).
The argument against using the Pearl index is that it is an outdated method (developed in the 1930s) and that the data presented by it depends on many factors (including culture, demography, methods of teaching contraceptives in a given society).