Video Transcript
The table shows the effectiveness
of two types of condoms and the contraceptive pill at preventing pregnancies. Why is the effectiveness always
lower with typical use? (A) Perfect use is based on 100
people using this method, but typical use is based on 1,000 people using it. (B) Not everybody who uses these
methods of contraception will use them correctly. (C) Many mistakes are made in the
manufacturing of contraceptives, which lowers their effectiveness. Or (D) the table is incorrect;
perfect use and typical use should have the same effectiveness.
The question presents us with a
table that shows the effectiveness of three contraceptive methods. Notice that the effectiveness is
always lower with typical use compared to perfect use. Let’s discuss why this might
occur.
The difference between typical use
and perfect use is that in typical use, human error is accounted for. An example of human error in using
contraceptives is if a female forgets to take her oral contraceptive. This results in a gap in the
hormonal regulation provided by the pill. This gap could result in a gap in
protection and an unwanted pregnancy if an egg were to be released and
fertilized.
As you can see from the table
provided, fewer pregnancies were prevented in the typical use column than in the
perfect use column. This is largely due to incorrect
use or human error. Therefore, the correct answer to
this question, “Why is the effectiveness always lower with typical use?,” is answer
choice (B). Not everybody who uses these
methods of contraception will use them correctly.
