Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: The Need and the Means

Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999 declared family planning to be one of the 10 most significant U.S. public health achievements of the 20th century, half of all pregnancies in the United States are still unintended. And the consequences of unintended pregnancy can be serious, even life-altering, particularly for women who are young or unmarried, have just recently given birth or already have the number of children they want. An unplanned pregnancy can be a barrier to obtaining timely prenatal care because it may take weeks or months for a woman to realize or accept that she is pregnant. Lack of prenatal care—along with poor birth-spacing, or giving birth before or after one’s childbearing prime—can pose health risks for the woman and for her newborn. In addition, an unintended pregnancy can interfere with a young woman’s education, limiting her employment possibilities and her ability to support herself and her family. Largely for reasons such as these, half of women who become pregnant unintentionally decide to have an abortion, which can be a serious decision in itself.