Study Suggests Only 50 Percent of Young Couples Wanted Pregnancy
A recently published study has revealed that only 50 percent of young couples who conceived actually wanted or planned for the pregnancy.
The study, titled "Pregnancy Desire Among a Sample of Young Couples Who Are Expecting a Baby," was published by the Guttmacher Institute, dedicated to advancing sexual and reproductive health through research.
The researchers selected couples from a sample of 296 couples, of which, the average female age was 20 with an age range of 14-21-years old. Of that group 49 percent of female participants and 53 percent of males reported a desire to keep the pregnancy through full term.
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This led to another 18 percent of females and 24 percent of males stating they were "unsure" of their feelings when considering how they felt of the pregnancy. This left 33 percent of females and 23 percent of males on the verge of parenthood to have a negative or "unwanted" feeling when considering the pregnancy.
The researchers note that more analysis is needed before a more comprehensive understanding of adolescent pregnancy attitudes and feelings can be produced as well as the contributing factors for enabling such feelings about pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.
They do, however, state that there needs to be more done in order to inform couples of pregnancy prevention efforts and also easier access to support services aimed at expectant couples as they prepare to transition to parenthood.
The study suggests that variances within adolescent's attitudes towards unwanted pregnancy require much more discussion and attention in order to better manage pregnancy prevention efforts.
The researchers do write that in some instances women who are trying to become pregnant are putting themselves at risk.
"Young women who have some desire to become pregnant may be placing themselves at risk not only for pregnancy, but also for STDs, including HIV, by not using barrier contraceptives."
The study, however, does not detail the exact nature of the expectant couple's relationship only stating that the couples had been together at least two years.
