Postpartum relationship Influences on contraceptive behavior

Objective: Pregnancy can impact changes in contraception, but not much is known about patterns of how contraceptive behaviors change from prior to the pregnancy to postpartum and whether aspects of relationships may influence those patterns. The purpose of the study is to assess how contraception methods change, identify pattern of those changes, and look at relationship factors of both male and female partners that predict those patterns.  Methods: A Latent Class Analysis was utilized to identify contraception trajectories from prior to pregnancy to 1 year postpartum for 296 young couples.  Multinomial models were used to describe the association between the postpartum contraception trajectories and relationship factors (equity, relationship satisfaction, and relationship power). Results: Four latent contraception trajectories were identified (postpartum consistent condom users, postpartum increasing hormonal users, tried ineffective methods postpartum, and consistent non-users). Male partners with more relationship satisfaction during pregnancy had female partners that were more likely to be in the postpartum consistent condom class compared to the postpartum increasing hormonal users class (β=-.040, p=.014). Women with more relationship power 6-months postpartum were more likely to be in the postpartum consistent condom class compared to the postpartum increasing hormonal users class (β=.795, p=.006). Male partner’s increase in relationship power from pregnancy to 6-months postpartum had female partners who were more likely to be in the consistent non-users class.  Conclusion: These findings show that unique profiles of contraception change after pregnancy exists for young pregnant women. Relationship factors of both partners may potentially impact choices of contraception.