Male perspectives on unintended pregnancy

In the United States, almost half of all pregnancies are unintended. While much research has focused on the characteristics of women who unintentionally become pregnant, limited research has focused on male experiences of unintended pregnancy and their role in prevention. The purpose of this study was to examine reports of male unintended pregnancy in the past five years and the perceptions male teens have towards unintended pregnancy. Data is from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, a household survey of men and women ages 15 to 44. This presentation will describe patterns of unintended pregnancy as reported by men ages 15-44. Men's reports of unintended pregnancy were limited to live births in the past five years; 44% of men reported they had gotten a partner pregnant when they did not intend to (the comparable statistic for women in 35%). Adolescent males were also asked in the interview how they would feel if they got a female pregnant at that time. Preliminary results indicate that approximately 83% of 15-19 men would be upset if they got a female pregnant signifying the pregnancy would be unintended: 49% responded they would be very upset if they got a female pregnant at that time and 34% felt they would be a little upset. The remaining 16% answered they would be a little pleased (11%) or very pleased (5%) if they got a female pregnant. Addressing the male perspective in family planning and contraception is necessary to effectively prevent unintended pregnancies.