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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Diana Greene Foster, PhD¹, Antonia Biggs, PhD², Gorette Amaral, MHS¹, Claire Brindis, DrPH¹, Abigail Arons¹, Carrie Lewis, MPH³, and Heike Thiel de Bocanegra, PhD, MPH³. (1) Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Research and Policy, University of California, San Francisco, 655 13th Street, Suite 201, Oakland, CA 94602, (510) 836-2128, greened@obgyn.ucsf.edu, (2) Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 265, San Francisco, CA 94118, (3) Bixby Center for Reproductive Health Research & Policy, University of California, San Francisco, CDHS Office of Family Planning, P.O. Box 997413, MS 8400, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413

Introduction: Preventing unintended pregnancies prevents medical and social service costs and results in many personal and social benefits. The need for family planning services is a function of reproductive intentions. There has been little investigation into the pregnancy intentions among those seeking family planning services. We examine desired timing and the reasons for postponing or delaying pregnancy and their predictors. Methods: Following their family planning visit in California's state family planning program (Family PACT), 1,409 women and men from 68 provider offices and clinics throughout California were interviewed about their reproductive intentions and the reasons they have for wanting to delay or prevent childbearing. Results: Just under a quarter of family planning clients want no more children, 7% want to delay pregnancy for 10 years, and 32% for 1-5 years. Being female, older, married, and having more children increased the odds of not wanting any more children. The primary reasons for postponing or preventing pregnancy were not being able to afford a(nother) child right now (24%), wanting to go to or finish college (19%) and feeling too young (11%). The longer women wanted to wait to have a baby the more likely they were to adopt long-term or high efficacy methods. Discussion: This study demonstrates that low-income women delay pregnancies to advance in their education and career goals. Access to a public family planning program may help them do so. Findings can be used by other states to provide evidence of the benefits of universal family planning services.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the pregnancy intentions of low income family planning clients.
• Describe reasons family planning clients give for postponing or preventing pregnancy.
• List five indicators related to postponing or preventing pregnancy.
• Identify the birth control methods more frequently adopted by women wanting to wait before having a baby.

Keywords: Pregnancy, Family Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation