Pregnancy Intention and Contraceptive Use Among Low Income Women

About half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended. Unintended pregnancy often results from lack of, inconsistent use of, or incorrect use of contraceptive methods. Rates of unintended pregnancies are greatest among poor and minority women and are associated with increased health risks for the mother and infant. Limited research has been done on pregnancy intention and proper contraceptive use in low income and minority women. Our findings suggest a need for education on the importance of using contraceptives properly to prevent unintended pregnancies, especially in low income Black and Hispanic women. In addition, there is a need to investigate further reasons why some low income and minority women fail to use contraceptives properly and put themselves at risk for unwanted pregnancies.