title: Unintended pregnancy in the life-course perspective.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this contribution unintended pregnancies are studied as a multidimensional concept from a life-course perspective. Standardized data on the prevalence of unwanted pregnancies in different stages of women's life course are combined with a qualitative analysis of the subjective meaning of "unwanted" and of subjective explanations of getting pregnant unintentionally.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study "frauen leben 3" on family planning in the life course of 20-44 year old women was conducted on behalf of the Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) from 2011 until 2014 in four federal states in Germany. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect retrospective information on 4794 pregnancies (including induced abortions), and biographical in-depth interviews provide qualitative information on 103 unwanted pregnancies. The standardized data were analyzed with bivariate methods and multivariate logistic regression models. The qualitative procedure to construct typologies of subjective meanings consisted of contrasting cases according to the generative approach of Grounded Theory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In contrast to unwanted pregnancies, mistimed pregnancies are characterized to a greater extent by negligence in the use of contraceptives, by a positive reaction to the pregnancy and by a more general desire to have a child. Four different subjective meanings of "unwanted" are constructed in qualitative analysis. The logistic regressions show that the selected factors that increase the likelihood of an unwanted pregnancy vary according to age and stage in the life course. The quantitative analysis reveals furthermore that relationship with a partner had a significant effect in all stages of the life course. The qualitative interviews specify the age- and life course-related aspects of these effects.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Science Research on Women (SoFFI F.)/Ev. Hochschule Freiburg, Bugginger Str. 38, D 79114 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: helfferich@eh-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Helfferich
authors.affiliation: Federal Centre of Health Education, BZgA, Ostmerheimer Str. 220, D 51109 Köln/Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: angelika.hessling@bzga.de.
authors.forename: Angelika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hessling
authors.affiliation: Institute of Sociology, University of Freiburg, c/o Institute for Social Science Research on Women (SoFFI F.), Bugginger Str. 38, D 79114 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: soffi@eh-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klindworth
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Science Research on Women (SoFFI F.), Bugginger Str. 38, D 79114 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: wlosnewski@eh-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wlosnewski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005193:Family Planning Services; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned / Q000523:psychology*; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D043762:Reproductive Behavior; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age at birth/abortion; Family planning; Life course; Mistimed pregnancy; Unintended pregnancy; Unwanted pregnancy