“This baby came up and then he said, “I give up!”: The interplay between unintended pregnancy, sexual partnership dynamics and social support and the impact on women's well-being in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract

BackgroundUnintended pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and child health outcomes. To improve the health and wellbeing of women during the antenatal period, additional research in settings where unintended pregnancies are common is required to better understand the impact of the pregnancy on women's emotional health, relationships, and support structures. ObjectiveTo examine the personal, social and economic factors shaping the antenatal experiences of women in a resource-constrained setting with high rates of unintended pregnancy and HIV. Research design and settingQualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 women from an urban informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, who had given birth within the last six weeks. FindingsMost participants (n = 27, 90%) reported that their pregnancy had not been planned. Unintended pregnancy marked a period of heightened stress and vulnerability for many participants due to increased financial strain, HIV status, and trauma associated with past or current violence. Family members and sexual partners could mitigate financial stress and be sources of emotional and material support during the antenatal period. However, participants frequently experienced increased instability and conflict in sexual partner and family relationships due to the unintended pregnancy, exacerbating women's stress. Key conclusionsA nuanced understanding of the factors shaping women's emotional responses to an unintended pregnancy may aid in identification of women who are most likely to experience high levels of antenatal stress and to prioritize these women for intervention in order to prevent associated poor maternal and child health outcomes.