PHOM Indicator Profile Report of Births from unintended pregnancies

Why Is This Important?

In the United States, unintended pregnancy is a major public health concern. Unintended pregnancy is a general term that includes pregnancies a woman reports were either mistimed or unwanted at the time of conception. Women with unintended pregnancies are less likely to seek early prenatal care or receive adequate prenatal care, they are more likely to smoke or drink during pregnancy, and are less likely to initiate or maintain breastfeeding.

Data Source

Utah Department of Health and Human Services Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

Data Notes

Question: "Thinking back to just before you got pregnant, how did you feel about becoming pregnant?" (check one answer). Answer Options: I wanted to be pregnant sooner, I wanted to be pregnant later, I wanted to be pregnant then, I didn't want to be pregnant then or at any time in the future, or I wasn't sure what I wanted. Women who wanted to be pregnant later or didn't want to be pregnant were categorized as having an unintended pregnancy.   [[br]] [[br]]Beginning in 2012, the PRAMS survey added the response "I wasn't sure what I wanted". The addition of this response may have diluted the percentage of responses in the other categories, so data for 2012 and later is not comparable to previous years.

Risk Factors

Having an unintended pregnancy can contribute to short inter-pregnancy spacing, the timing between a live birth and the next pregnancy, which increases the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age infants. Research has shown that short intervals (less than 18 months) and long intervals (60+ months) were associated with a higher risk of negative health outcomes for mothers and babies. 2022 birth data finds 17% of Utah mothers became pregnant less than 18 months after their last birth.

How Are We Doing?

During the years 2020-2022, 18.9% of Utah women reported that their birth resulted from unintended pregnancy.

What Is Being Done?

To reduce unplanned pregnancies, public health efforts may include: '''Health Education:''' Increase knowledge of human reproduction, conception, and proper use of available contraceptive methods, and promote optimal spacing of pregnancies for healthy maternal and infant outcomes. Women's health and maternal health information and education are available from the Utah Department of Health Human Services Maternal and Infant Health Program at [https://mihp.utah.gov/]. '''Access to family planning services:''' Family planning services are available in Utah from several sources: community health centers, Planned Parenthood Association of Utah clinics, Family Planning Elevated, and private providers. Utah law requires unmarried minors' parental consent to obtain contraception information and services from community health centers and clinics. Self-administered hormonal contraceptives are available directly from a pharmacist. People 18 years and older can receive their birth control pills, patch or ring directly from a participating pharmacist. For more information, call your pharmacy or see [https://mihp.utah.gov/birthcontrol]. As of August 1, 2012, non-grandfathered plans must provide coverage for preventive women's health care, including contraception and counseling, without cost-sharing. Medicaid also provides family planning counseling and FDA-approved contraceptive methods without cost-sharing.