The Pearl Index for a contraceptive method is 0.3. This means:
- A 0.3 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use ✓
- B 0.3% of women using the method become pregnant in one year
- C The method prevents 0.3 pregnancies per 1000 users per year
- D The method has a 99.7% per-cycle efficacy rate
Correct answer: A. 0.3 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use
Explanation
The Pearl Index = (Number of contraceptive failures × 1200) / (Total months of exposure). A Pearl Index of 0.3 means 0.3 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use — equivalent to 3 pregnancies per 1000 women using the method for 1 year. Lower Pearl Index = more effective contraception (combined OCP ≈ 0.1–0.3; copper-T IUCD ≈ 0.6–0.8; male condom ≈ 2–15; calendar method ≈ 9–20). The index is used to compare contraceptive efficacy across methods but has the limitation of assuming constant failure rate regardless of duration of use.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.