Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Mar;202(3):214-20.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2009.08.022.

Disparities in family planning

Christine Dehlendorf  1 , Maria Isabel Rodriguez, Kira Levy, Sonya Borrero, Jody Steinauer
Affiliations
Review

Disparities in family planning

Christine Dehlendorf et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Prominent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unintended births exist in the United States. These disparities can contribute to the cycle of disadvantage experienced by specific demographic groups when women are unable to control their fertility as desired. In this review we consider 3 factors that contribute to disparities in family planning outcomes: patient preferences and behaviors, health care system factors, and provider-related factors. Through addressing barriers to access to family planning services, including abortion and contraception, and working to ensure that all women receive patient-centered reproductive health care, health care providers and policy makers can substantially improve the ability of women from all racial/ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to make informed decisions about their fertility.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Health disparities: definitions and measurements.
    Dehlendorf C, Bryant AS, Huddleston HG, Jacoby VL, Fujimoto VY. Dehlendorf C, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar;202(3):212-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ajog.2009.12.003. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2010. PMID: 20207236 Free PMC article. No abstract available.

References

    1. Wulf D, Donovan P. Women and societies benefit when childbearing is planned. The Alan Guttmacher Institute Issues in Brief. 2002 - PubMed
    1. Kost K, Landry DJ, Darroch JE. Predicting maternal behaviors during pregnancy: does intention status matter? Fam Plann Perspect. 1998;30:79–88. - PubMed
    1. Hook K. Refused abortion. A follow-up study of 249 women whose applications were refused by the National Board of Health in Sweden. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl. 1963;39:1–156. - PubMed
    1. Najman JM, Morrison J, Williams G, Andersen M, Keeping JD. The mental health of women 6 months after they give birth to an unwanted baby: a longitudinal study. Soc Sci Med. 1991;32:241–247. - PubMed
    1. Cheng D, Schwarz EB, Douglas E, Horon I. Unintended pregnancy and associated maternal preconception, prenatal and postpartum behaviors. Contraception. 2009;79:194–198. - PubMed

Publication types