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Contraceptive risk-taking in a medically-underserved, low-income population
1University of California Irvine, Orange 92613.
Women & Health
|January 1, 1994
Summary
Contraceptive risk-taking is common among low-income women. Factors like minority status, parity, younger age, and poor fertility knowledge increase this risk, often linked to past unintended pregnancies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Reproductive Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Contraceptive risk-taking, defined as non-use of contraception in sexually active, fertile women, is a significant public health concern.
- Understanding predictors of this behavior is crucial for effective family planning interventions, especially among underserved populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze demographic predictors of contraceptive risk-taking in low-income women.
- To compare contraceptive knowledge and pregnancy histories between non-contraceptors and barrier method users.
Main Methods:
- Survey of low-income, childbearing-aged women with limited recent family planning services.
- Analysis of demographic factors, contraceptive knowledge, and reproductive histories.
Main Results:
- Contraceptive risk-taking was higher among minority women, parous women, those aged 30 and younger, and women with incorrect fertility cycle knowledge.
- Marital status showed a weak association with contraceptive risk-taking.
- Non-contraceptors demonstrated lower contraceptive knowledge and higher rates of previous unintended pregnancies.
Conclusions:
- Contraceptive risk-taking appears to be an enduring behavior for a subset of medically underserved, low-income women.
- Findings suggest a need for targeted family planning education and support for this demographic.