Abigail R A Aiken1. 1. Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Women frequently profess happiness about unintended pregnancies; such incongruence is associated with use of less effective contraceptive methods and inconsistent or incorrect method use. Yet, the methods women use may differ from those they desire. METHODS: Data on 578 women were drawn from a prospective survey of postpartum women aged 18-44 recruited from three hospitals in Texas between 2012 and 2014. Jonckheere-Terpstra tests were used to compare women's feelings about a future pregnancy with their childbearing intentions. Fisher-Freeman-Halton tests compared distributions of contraceptive methods currently used and desired by women who professed happiness about a future unintended pregnancy, as well as distributions of desired methods by women's reported feelings. RESULTS: The proportion of women who reported happiness about a future pregnancy was 59% among those intending to wait two or three years for another child, 46% among those intending to wait four or more years, and 36% among those intending to have no more children. Among women who professed happiness, a greater proportion desired to use a highly effective contraceptive method than were currently using one (72% vs. 15% among those intending no more children; 55% vs. 23% among those intending to wait at least four years; and 36% vs. 10% among those intending to wait two or three years). Across intention categories, the types of methods desired did not differ by whether women professed happiness or unhappiness. CONCLUSIONS: Women who profess happiness about a future unintended pregnancy may nonetheless desire highly effective contraceptive methods.
CONTEXT: Women frequently profess happiness about unintended pregnancies; such incongruence is associated with use of less effective contraceptive methods and inconsistent or incorrect method use. Yet, the methods women use may differ from those they desire. METHODS: Data on 578 women were drawn from a prospective survey of postpartum women aged 18-44 recruited from three hospitals in Texas between 2012 and 2014. Jonckheere-Terpstra tests were used to compare women's feelings about a future pregnancy with their childbearing intentions. Fisher-Freeman-Halton tests compared distributions of contraceptive methods currently used and desired by women who professed happiness about a future unintended pregnancy, as well as distributions of desired methods by women's reported feelings. RESULTS: The proportion of women who reported happiness about a future pregnancy was 59% among those intending to wait two or three years for another child, 46% among those intending to wait four or more years, and 36% among those intending to have no more children. Among women who professed happiness, a greater proportion desired to use a highly effective contraceptive method than were currently using one (72% vs. 15% among those intending no more children; 55% vs. 23% among those intending to wait at least four years; and 36% vs. 10% among those intending to wait two or three years). Across intention categories, the types of methods desired did not differ by whether women professed happiness or unhappiness. CONCLUSIONS: Women who profess happiness about a future unintended pregnancy may nonetheless desire highly effective contraceptive methods.
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Authors: Abigail R A Aiken; Mitchell D Creinin; Andrew M Kaunitz; Anita L Nelson; James Trussell Journal: Contraception Date: 2014-08-07 Impact factor: 3.375
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