The Pearl Index for a contraceptive method is 3. This means that in 100 women using this method correctly for one year, how many will become pregnant?
- A 0.3 women
- B 3 women ✓
- C 30 women
- D 97 women
Correct answer: B. 3 women
Explanation
Pearl Index = (Number of pregnancies × 1200) / (Total months of contraceptive use). A Pearl Index of 3 means 3 pregnancies per 100 woman-years of use — equivalent to 3 women out of 100 becoming pregnant during one year of method use. Lower Pearl Index indicates higher contraceptive efficacy. For comparison: CuT-380A has Pearl Index ~0.5–0.8; combined OCP ~0.1–0.3 with perfect use; condoms ~3 with perfect use and ~15 with typical use; natural family planning methods 3–25.
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.