Contraception
Volume 75, Issue 5 , Pages 361-366, May 2007

Reasons for unprotected intercourse: analysis of the PRAMS survey

  • Mary D. Nettleman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medicine, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author: Tel.: +1 517 432 9124; fax: +1 517 432 9471.
    • ,
  • Hwan Chung

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    • ,
  • Jennifer Brewer

      Affiliations

    • Department of Anthropology, College of Social Science. East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    • ,
  • Adejoke Ayoola

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing Michigan. East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    • ,
  • Philip L. Reed

      Affiliations

    • Department of Epidemiology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
    • Biomedical Research and Informatics Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA

Received 21 November 2006; received in revised form 1 January 2007; accepted 5 January 2007. published online 12 March 2007.

Abstract 

Objectives

This study was conducted to identify reasons why women had unprotected intercourse that led to an unintended pregnancy.

Methods

As part of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey, women with a recent unintended viable pregnancy were asked after the birth why they had not used birth control.

Results

Of 7856 respondents, 33% felt they could not get pregnant at the time of conception, 30% did not really mind if they got pregnant, 22% stated their partner did not want to use contraception, 16% cited side effects, 10% felt they or their partner were sterile, 10% cited access problems and 18% selected “other.” Latent class analysis showed seven patterns of response, each identifying strongly with a single reason.

Conclusions

Almost half of women with viable unintended pregnancies ending in a birth felt they could not/would not get pregnant at the time of conception. Most women identified with a single reason for having unprotected intercourse.

Keywords: Contraception, Pregnancy, Women's health

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PII: S0010-7824(07)00071-6

doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2007.01.011

Refers to erratum:

  • Erratum to “Reasons for unprotected intercourse: analysis of the PRAMS survey” [Contraception 75 (2007) 361–366] , 04 October 2007

    Mary D. Nettleman, Hwan Chung, Jennifer Brewer, Adejoke Ayoola, Philip L. Reed
    Contraception November 2007 (Vol. 76, Issue 5, Page 413)

Contraception
Volume 75, Issue 5 , Pages 361-366, May 2007

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