Pregnancy testing and counseling: a university health center's 5-year experience

Profiles and related sexual histories of 2,029 women who sought pregnancy tests at a university health center over a 5-year period were examined. Rates of pregnancy (30%) were consistent over the 5 years. The highest rates of testing were among seniors and juniors, with graduate students reporting the highest levels of unintended pregnancy. More than 37% of the women indicated they had not used any method of contraception at the time of risk; 29% of the women who had used condoms reported that the device had either torn or slipped off. The women with previous pregnancies were more likely to test positive and to terminate the pregnancy than were the women who had never been pregnant. The findings are discussed with reference to sexually education programs and pregnancy counseling.