Salience of Childbearing Plans and Pregnancy Outcomes
Abstract
Despite widespread availability of contraception, the unplanned pregnancy rate in the United States is nearly 50%. While previous research has separately examined women's fertility intentions and risk factors for unplanned pregnancy, little has been done to study characteristics influencing intentions and childbearing outcomes. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the salience of women's fertility intentions and their pregnancy outcomes. The results suggest that women who reported unplanned pregnancies did not report a high level of importance with regard to planning; childless women demonstrated the most planning. Women described both personal and situational factors that influenced their planning salience.
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- OSU Theses [15752]