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Shifts in intended and unintended pregnancies in the United States, 2001-2008

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  • Finer, L.B.
  • Zolna, M.R.

Abstract

Objectives. We monitored trends in pregnancy by intendedness and outcomes of unintended pregnancies nationally and for key subgroups between 2001 and 2008. Methods. Data on pregnancy intentions from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and a nationally representative survey of abortion patients were combined with counts of births (from the National Center for Health Statistics), counts of abortions (from a census of abortion providers), estimates of miscarriages (from the NSFG), and population denominators from the US Census Bureau to obtain pregnancy rates by intendedness. Results. In 2008, 51% of pregnancies in the United States were unintended, and the unintended pregnancy rate was 54 per 1000 women ages 15 to 44 years. Between 2001 and 2008, intended pregnancies decreased and unintended pregnancies increased, a shift previously unobserved. Large disparities in unintended pregnancy by relationship status, income, and education increased; the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion decreased; and the rate of unintended pregnancies ending in birth increased, reaching 27 per 1000 women. Conclusions. Reducing unintended pregnancy likely requires addressing fundamental socioeconomic inequities, as well as increasing contraceptive use and the uptake of highly effective methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Finer, L.B. & Zolna, M.R., 2014. "Shifts in intended and unintended pregnancies in the United States, 2001-2008," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(S1), pages 43-48.
    • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301416_8
    DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301416
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    Cited by:

    1. M. Paula Fitzgerald & Jeff Langenderfer & Megan Lynn Fitzgerald, 2020. "Is It Ethical for For-profit Firms to Practice a Religion? A Rawlsian Thought Experiment," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 166(1), pages 159-174, September.
    2. Abigail Weitzman & Jennifer Barber & Yasamin Kusunoki, 2019. "Sexual Concurrency and Contraceptive Use Among Young Adult Women," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(2), pages 549-572, April.
    3. Nima Khodakarami, 2019. "The Impact of Sex Education on Sexual Activity, Pregnancy, and Abortion," Papers 1903.08307, arXiv.org.
    4. Zandberg, Jonathan, 2021. "Family comes first: Reproductive health and the gender gap in entrepreneurship," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(3), pages 838-864.
    5. Jessica Houston Su & Fenaba R. Addo, 2018. "Born Without a Silver Spoon: Race, Wealth, and Unintended Childbearing," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 39(4), pages 600-615, December.
    6. Dana Rotz & Brian Goesling & Hande Inanc & Gregory Chojnacki, "undated". "Economic Benefits of Delayed Sexual Activity," Mathematica Policy Research Reports 248b878cd4254142ac8c13102, Mathematica Policy Research.
    7. Lisbet S. Lundsberg & Eleanor B. Schwarz & Nicole A. Vilardo & Kimberly A. Yonkers & Aileen M. Gariepy, 2018. "Clinical Validation of PROMIS Global Short Form in Pregnancy," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 89-103, March.
    8. Anthony A. Noce & Dhimtri Qirjo & Namini De Silva, 2016. "Enticing the Stork: Can we Evaluate Pro-Natal Policies Before Having Children?," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(2), pages 184-202, June.
    9. Athena Tapales & Lawrence Finer, 2015. "Unintended pregnancy and the changing demography of American women, 1987-2008," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(45), pages 1257-1270.

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