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Partner effects on a woman's intention to conceive: 'not with this partner'.
L S Zabin1, G R Huggins, M R Emerson
1Department of Population and Family Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Family Planning Perspectives
|March 11, 2000
Summary
Pregnancy intention is complex for individuals, especially in casual relationships. Many pregnancies are unintended, with desire to avoid childbearing linked more to the specific partner than family size goals.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Sociology
- Demography
Background:
- Current pregnancy intention definitions are inadequate for individual assessments, particularly in contexts with transient relationships.
- Childbearing and pregnancy frequently occur within casual or transient partnerships, complicating intention assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore correlates of intention to conceive among low-income women.
- To determine the extent to which women attribute pregnancy intentions to their current partner.
Main Methods:
- Utilized extensive data on lifetime partnerships and sexual behaviors from 250 low-income women.
- Analyzed 839 pregnancies and births to investigate correlates of conception intention and partner attribution.
Main Results:
- 57% of reported pregnancies were unintended.
- Women were less likely to report unintended pregnancies with cohabiting partners.
- Unwanted pregnancies were more than twice as likely to end in abortion.
Conclusions:
- Desire to avoid childbearing is more closely tied to the specific conception partner than to abstract family size goals.
- Future pregnancy intention studies should incorporate partner relationship factors.