Abstract
BackgroundIt is estimated that approximately one-third of pregnancies in Canada are unintended, meaning they were either mistimed (the woman wanted to be pregnant at a different point in time) or undesired (the woman did not want to be pregnant). This study aimed to assess the impact of socioeconomic variables and method of contraception on the decision to either terminate or continue and unintended pregnancy.MethodsData were obtained from two contemporaneous studies in Calgary Canada– a cross-sectional study involving women seeking abortion services (n = 577) and a longitudinal cohort study involving women with continuing pregnancies (n = 3552) between 2008 and 2012. Chi square tests and logistic regression were used to examine the association between socioeconomic variables, use of contraception and pregnancy intention.Results96.5 % of women seeking an abortion and 19.6 % of women with ongoing pregnancies reported having an unintended pregnancy. Women with unintended pregnancies were significantly younger (p < 0.001), less educated (p < 0.001), had a lower household income (p < 0.001), were less likely to be in a stable relationship (p < 0.001), and less likely to speak English in the home (p < 0.002). 20.2 % reported not using any form of birth control despite their desire to not get pregnant. Among women with unintended pregnancies, the only significant demographic predictor of not using any form of contraception was low educational attainment (OR = 1.7, 95 % CI: 1.2–2.4).ConclusionsLow educational attainment was associated with not using any form of contraception among women with unintended pregnancies. However, as unintended pregnancy occurs across all socio-demographic groups, care providers are encouraged to have an open discussion regarding fertility goals and contraception with all patients and refer them to appropriate resource materials.
Highlights
IntroductionIt is estimated that approximately one-third of pregnancies in Canada are unintended, meaning they were either mistimed (the woman wanted to be pregnant at a different point in time) or undesired (the woman did not want to be pregnant)
It is estimated that approximately one-third of pregnancies in Canada are unintended, meaning they were either mistimed or undesired
The proportion of women with unintended pregnancies who had not been using any form of contraception was significantly higher in women who terminated the pregnancy (23.7 %, 95 % CI: 20.3–27.4) than those who continued the pregnancy (17.2 %, 95 % CI: 14.5–20.3) (p = 0.005)
Summary
It is estimated that approximately one-third of pregnancies in Canada are unintended, meaning they were either mistimed (the woman wanted to be pregnant at a different point in time) or undesired (the woman did not want to be pregnant). Current literature supports that for women who choose to Socioeconomic factors influence both choice and use of contraception, the rate of unintended pregnancy, and the decision to continue or terminate an unintended pregnancy [1, 7,8,9,10], resulting in a complex relationship between all of these factors and reproductive decision-making. This study aimed to assess the impact of socioeconomic variables and method of contraception on the decision to either terminate or continue and unintended pregnancy
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