Postpartum unintended pregnancy and contraception practice among rural-to-urban migrant women in Shanghai

BackgroundRural-to-urban migrant women in Shanghai have poor reproductive health; the incidence of postpartum unintended pregnancy and contraceptive practices has not been adequately studied in this population.Study DesignThis retrospective study examined the incidence of postpartum unintended pregnancy and associated factors among migrant women and included a medical records reviews, telephone interviews and in-depth face-to-face interviews.ResultsThe incidence of unintended pregnancy during the first and second years postpartum was 12.8 and 12.9 per 100 women-years, respectively. Eighty-six percent resulted from nonuse of contraception, and 88% ended in induced abortions. Median times of sexual activity resumption and contraception initiation were 2 months and 7.5 months postpartum, respectively. Approximately 17% of women did not adopt effective contraceptive methods until undergoing induced abortion.ConclusionsConcentrated efforts, including contraception counseling prior to discharge and early postpartum visits, are required to increase early use of effective contraception among rural-to-urban migrant women in Shanghai and to reduce their high level of postpartum unintended pregnancy.