Unintended pregnancy amongst women attending antenatal clinics at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
BACKGROUND
National survey data from Papua New Guinea (PNG) suggest that women are having almost 1.5 times the number of children they desire. Women's ability to space and limit the number of children could have a significant impact on the country's high infant and maternal mortality rates.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and demographic associations of unintended pregnancy in women presenting for antenatal care to Port Moresby General Hospital.


METHODS
From November 2011 to February 2012, we administered a structured questionnaire to women attending antenatal clinics covering pregnancy intention, contraceptive use and demographic information.


RESULTS
Amongst the 1198 respondents, 49.4% of the pregnancies were reported as unintended with significantly higher proportions amongst women with no education or education only to primary school level (OR:1.46, CI: 1.10-1.92), unmarried women (OR:7.16, CI: 4.08-12.58), women whose first sexual encounter was under the age of 20 (OR 1.55, CI: 1.20-1.99) and women with three or more children compared to those having their first child (OR: 2.70, CI:1.86-3.93). Amongst multiparous women, a short birth interval of less than two years was significantly associated with unintended pregnancy (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Unintended pregnancy was common and occurred more frequently amongst women who already had three or more children, often leading to birth spacing of under two years. There is a need for effective programs and strategies to increase access to contraceptive information and services. Immediate provision of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods in the postnatal period could facilitate such access and reduce unplanned pregnancy amongst multiparous women.
Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Garoka Hospital, Goroka, Papua New Guinea.
Karen
K
Sanga
Glen
G
Mola
Jeany
J
Wattimena
Aafke
A
Justesen
Kirsten I
KI
Black
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001721:Birth Intervals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003075:Coitus; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
birth interval; contraception; postnatal care; pregnancy, unplanned