Unintended pregnancy and childhood maltreatment: The protective effect of positive relationships

Childhood maltreatment is associated with sexual risk-taking behaviors in adulthood but can also have generational effects on maternal/child health.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between childhood abuse and neglect and unintended pregnancy, and then assessed the effect of relationship attributes on this outcome.

Findings indicate parenting women (n = 153) in long-term relationships who experienced childhood emotional abuse had higher scores of unintended pregnancies (p = .023). Yet women with moderate/high partner appraisal (perceptions of their partner's attributes used to assess interpersonal conflicts) showed no difference in unintended pregnancies between those with and without emotional abuse in childhood. Women with emotional abuse and low partner appraisal had higher unintended pregnancy scores (p = .002).

This study has implications for public health nursing and life course research demonstrating that a positive adult interpersonal environment can reduce the sequelae of adverse health outcomes associated with childhood emotional abuse. The results reinforce the importance of screening adults for childhood maltreatment to establish early risk for unintended pregnancy.