AIM: Unintended pregnancy is a major public health problem that affects not only the individuals directly involved but also society. Most couples who want to avoid pregnancy practice contraception. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of discontinuation of the different methods of contraception and describe the most common reasons of discontinuation of contraception usage. METHOD: The 2005 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) is a nationally representative household survey of 19 474 married women aged 15-49 years. The study sample was selected using a multistage sampling technique. A face-to-face structured interview was conducted with the selected women. The response rate was 99.5% for completing the questionnaires. The 2005 EDHS provides a wealth of information on fertility, family planning, maternal and child health and nutrition, and violence against women. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that 46.4% of women discontinued the use of contraception. Side effects of the method were the most frequent reason of discontinuation CONCLUSION: Nearly half of Egyptian women discontinued the use of contraception due to side effects and wanted more children.