OBJECTIVE: To examine the experiences of women who are delaying motherhood by having abortions. DESIGN: Mixed-methods study. SETTING: An abortion clinic in Vancouver, BC. PARTICIPANTS: Women presenting for abortion at an urban, free-standing abortion clinic. Interviews were only with women older than 35 years of age. METHODS: A chart review was initially performed, followed by a survey of women presenting to the clinic, as well as in-depth interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed. MAIN FINDINGS: Of the 1844 charts reviewed, 550 (30%) were for women 33 years of age and older and 117 (21%) of those had no children (6% of the total 1844). Plans for future pregnancies were reported in only 70 of the 117 charts; 37 (53%) of the women said they wanted children in the future and 20 (29%) said they were unsure. There were 1118 questionnaires completed (response rate of 86%). There were 334 (30%) women 33 years of age and older and 87 (26%) of those had no children (8% of the total 1113). Of these women, 47 (54%) planned to have children in the future and 24 (28%) were unsure. The most common reason these older childless women gave for having abortions was that they were "just not ready" (59%). We used logistic regression to examine predictors for delaying motherhood and the stepwise regression retained only 2 factors: high rating of "stable relationship" (P=.003) and a "partner who would be a good parent" (P=.008). The most striking themes in the interviews were women's uncertainty about childbearing and their focus on the quality of their relationships. CONCLUSION: This study contributes additional insight into the uncertainty older nulliparous women experience about childbearing, and it points to women's primary focus on relationships with partners rather than with children as a possible explanation for this trend.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the experiences of women who are delaying motherhood by having abortions. DESIGN: Mixed-methods study. SETTING: An abortion clinic in Vancouver, BC. PARTICIPANTS: Women presenting for abortion at an urban, free-standing abortion clinic. Interviews were only with women older than 35 years of age. METHODS: A chart review was initially performed, followed by a survey of women presenting to the clinic, as well as in-depth interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed. MAIN FINDINGS: Of the 1844 charts reviewed, 550 (30%) were for women 33 years of age and older and 117 (21%) of those had no children (6% of the total 1844). Plans for future pregnancies were reported in only 70 of the 117 charts; 37 (53%) of the women said they wanted children in the future and 20 (29%) said they were unsure. There were 1118 questionnaires completed (response rate of 86%). There were 334 (30%) women 33 years of age and older and 87 (26%) of those had no children (8% of the total 1113). Of these women, 47 (54%) planned to have children in the future and 24 (28%) were unsure. The most common reason these older childless women gave for having abortions was that they were "just not ready" (59%). We used logistic regression to examine predictors for delaying motherhood and the stepwise regression retained only 2 factors: high rating of "stable relationship" (P=.003) and a "partner who would be a good parent" (P=.008). The most striking themes in the interviews were women's uncertainty about childbearing and their focus on the quality of their relationships. CONCLUSION: This study contributes additional insight into the uncertainty older nulliparous women experience about childbearing, and it points to women's primary focus on relationships with partners rather than with children as a possible explanation for this trend.
Authors: Suzanne C Tough; Christine Newburn-Cook; David W Johnston; Lawrence W Svenson; Sarah Rose; Jaques Belik Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2002-03 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: K S Joseph; Alexander C Allen; Linda Dodds; Linda Ann Turner; Heather Scott; Robert Liston Journal: Obstet Gynecol Date: 2005-06 Impact factor: 7.661