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Demographers and other public health researchers have measured pregnancy intentions for nearly 80 years to understand fertility-related behaviors and trends. This intentions-oriented framework assumes that a planned approach to becoming pregnant or avoiding pregnancy is universal. It also presumes that perceptions about pregnancy fall into discrete categories of intended or unintended and does not account for those whose pregnancy desires may fall outside of these categories or along a continuum of intentions, such as those who may hold seemingly conflicting views about their control over and feelings regarding pregnancy.
In a new study for PLOS One, CUNY SPH Assistant Professor Meredith Manze, along with colleagues Diana Romero and Lynn Roberts; Prabal De of the Graduate Center, and CUNY SPH alum Josie Hartnett, sought to gain a deeper understanding of how such multidimensional beliefs about pregnancy are associated with pregnancy desires using a national survey-based study. The researchers found that of the 460 women and men in the sample, those who felt pregnancy was “predetermined” by fate/higher power or a natural process were more likely to report not using contraception consistently.
“Our findings support less categorical and more multidimensional approaches to measuring fertility intentions, with important implications for reproductive health service provision,” Professor Manze concludes.
Deviating from longstanding conclusions regarding pregnancy intendedness and contraceptive use, the findings demonstrate that inconsistent contraceptive use and predetermined beliefs about pregnancy can be legitimate and acceptable, if this approach to pregnancy supports an individual’s or couple’s own pregnancy desires. They suggest that further research should investigate if and how contraceptive counseling is wanted among those at different points along the pregnancy desires “continuum.”
