Unintended and unwanted pregnancy in St. Lucia

Abstract

Among 200 mothers interviewed in St. Lucia, 82.5% described their pregnancy as unintended and 44% as unwanted; 80% of women having an intended pregnancy and 94.6% having an unintended pregnancy were unmarried and 18.5% were teenagers. Mothers of unintended pregnancies were significantly younger, were of significantly higher parity and had begun sexual relations at a significantly earlier age than mothers of intended pregnancies; and, unlike mothers of planned pregnancies, their desired interpregnancy interval was significantly longer than the actual interval. These results and the sporadic and ineffective use of contraception in St. Lucia emphasize the need for improvements in fertility regulation in that country.

PIP: Between June 13 and July 30, 1993, in St. Lucia, 200 mothers who had just delivered at Victoria Hospital were interviewed so researchers could examine unintended and unwanted pregnancies and their socioeconomic and demographic determinants. 165 pregnancies (82.5%) were unplanned. Unmarried women comprised 96.4% of women having an unintended pregnancy and 80% of those having an intended pregnancy. 18.5% of all pregnancies occurred to teenagers. Women who had completed an unplanned pregnancy were younger than those who had completed a planned pregnancy (20 years, 21.2% vs. 5.7%; p 0.01). Mothers of unintended pregnancies had a significantly higher parity than those of intended pregnancies (parity =or 4, 16.7% vs. 0; p 0.005). The actual interpregnancy interval among mothers of unintended pregnancies was much shorter than the desired interval (p 0.005). Women with unintended pregnancies were significantly younger at age of first intercourse than women with intended pregnancies (p 0.005). 88 of the unintended pregnancies (53.3%) (44% of all pregnancies) were unwanted pregnancies. Among unintended pregnancies, mothers who wanted their pregnancy were more likely than those who did not want their pregnancy to have had at least some post-primary school education (p 0.01) and have a high personal income (p 0.001). 87.9% did not use a consistent family planning method around the time of conception. 28% of women with unintended pregnancies had never used a contraceptive method. The leading reason for not using contraception effectively were carelessness (about 40%) and fear of side effects (26%). These findings suggest the need for a policy aimed to reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy in St. Lucia. The policy should include counseling on use of contraceptives and the risks associated with unintended and unwanted pregnancy.