Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106673

Kimberley A. Goldsmith, MS¹, Kenneth D. Rosenberg, MD, MPH², Alfredo P. Sandoval, MS, MBA², and Jodi A. Lapidus, PhD¹. (1) Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, CSB 669, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97201, (2) Office of Family Health, Oregon Department of Human Services, 800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 850, Portland, OR 97232, 503-731-4507, ken.d.rosenberg@state.or.us

Background: Almost half of U.S. pregnancies are unintended. Increased awareness of emergency contraception may lead to a decrease in unintended pregnancies.

Study Question: Is knowledge of emergency contraception associated with unintended childbearing?

Methods: Oregon Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveys a stratified random sample of women after a live birth. In 2001, 1750 women completed the survey (70.3% response). Women were asked whether they had heard of emergency birth control (“the morning-after” pill) before they were pregnant and whether their pregnancy was intended or unintended. Multivariate modeling was done using SUDAAN software.

Results: 25.2% of women had not heard of emergency contraception. 38.3% of women had had unintended pregnancies. Women who had not heard of emergency contraception were more likely to have an unintended pregnancy: Odds Ratio=1.85 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33, 2.53). After controlling for maternal marital status, age and education the adjusted odds ratio was 1.61 (95% CI 1.11, 2.38).

Conclusions: Women who did not know about emergency contraception are more likely to have unintended pregnancies. As access to emergency contraception increases, it is likely that there will be decrease in unintended pregnancies (and births).

Public Health Implications: Public health programs should support dissemination of information about emergency contraception, including its benefits and how to get emergency contraception pills.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Recognize that women who do not know about emergency contraception are more likely to have an unintended birth.
• Apply their understanding of the relationship between emergency contraception and unintended childbearing to developing programs designed to decrease the frequency of unintended pregnancies.
• Articulate the need for support by public health programs for emergency contraception education, especially in women at risk for unintended pregnancies.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.