The authors discuss "the way in which married couples make choices from among contraceptive alternatives, and the way in which these choices lead to use.... Three predominant themes structure this chapter. First, can currently popular decision-making theories be satisfactorily applied to joint contraceptive decision-making? Second, do spouse's perceptions (and misperceptions) of the other's beliefs, attitudes, etc. influence the decision outcome? And, third, do demographic considerations (such as a couple's stage in the life-cycle or ethnicity) alter the utility of decision theories?" Data are from a study of 453 couples interviewed in Gainesville, Florida.