Foreigners use pill more; sterilization less

ATLANTA (AP) — The pill is still the No. 1 contraceptive for American women, but it's even more popular in other industrialized countries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released its first report comparing contraception among countries.

Sixteen percent of U.S. married women say they use the pill. That compares to 22 percent in the United Kingdom, 24 percent in Australia, and more than 40 percent in the Netherlands, France and Portugal.

But sterilization was much more popular in the United States than in six other countries. About one in four U.S. married women have had the procedure. Most of the other countries had rates below 10 percent.