Abstract
Objective
To understand how young people conceptualize planned, unplanned and “in-between” pregnancies.
Methods
We conducted individual qualitative interviews with 50 young (ages 18–24) women and
their male partners (n=100) in the San Francisco Bay Area to investigate prospective pregnancy intentions.
In this analysis, we focused on participants' conceptualization of planned and unplanned
pregnancies, as well as a status in between planned and unplanned.
Results
Conceptualizations of pregnancy planning were influenced by personal experiences and
life circumstances, including previous unplanned pregnancies. While many participants
held up planned pregnancies as an ideal, the majority of participants (n=71) also felt that a status in between planned and unplanned pregnancy existed. Many
described this in-between stage occurring when someone is “not not trying” or would
find an unplanned pregnancy acceptable. Notably, a few participants mentioned that
pregnancy planning was not possible because either it was uncommon among their peers
or they felt a general lack of control over pregnancy.
Conclusion
Our analysis suggests that binary operationalization of pregnancies as “planned” and
“unplanned” neglects the complexity of young people's lived experiences and perspectives.
Contraceptive counseling approaches that allow patients the flexibility to express
their considerations and feelings toward a potential future pregnancy could improve
the quality of family planning visits and patient–provider interactions.
Implications
The traditional binary conceptualization of pregnancies as planned and unplanned may
not holistically capture the diverse perspectives of young people. Increased understanding
of the complexities in young people's conceptualizion of pregnancy planning can inform
family planning care that is inclusive, relevant and supportive of a variety of perspectives.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 15, 2018
Accepted:
August 13,
2018
Received in revised form:
August 10,
2018
Received:
January 3,
2018
Identification
Copyright
© 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
