title: Unintended Pregnancy in the Military Health Care System: Who is Really at Risk?
abstract: Unintended pregnancy is a global issue and one that is reportedly to be higher in the military population. We sought to assess rates of unintended pregnancy among the active duty population in comparison to other military health care beneficiaries. Using a validated six-question survey, patients aged 18 to 42 were surveyed in five different clinics at three major tertiary hospitals from December 2013 to December 2014. Individual survey questions were scored 0, 1, or 2 and a total score was tabulated. A total score of 0 to 3 indicated unintended pregnancy, 4 to 9 indicated ambivalence toward pregnancy, and 10 to 12 indicated intended pregnancy. Subanalysis was performed on two survey questions specifically looking at pregnancy intentions. A total of 1,211 completed surveys were analyzed. Overall, 6.9% of all respondents had an unintended pregnancy compared to 23% of pregnancies in single active duty women. Single, active duty service members were more likely to indicate they did not intend to get pregnant or want a baby before becoming pregnant. Overall, the rate of unintended pregnancy among military health care beneficiaries is low. However, single active duty women are at significantly higher risk for unintended pregnancy and specifically targeted interventions should be implemented for this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Heitmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Batig
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tripler Army Medical Center, 1 Jarrett White Road, Honolulu, HI 96859.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novotney
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Calvin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grubbs
authors.affiliation: Soldier Center Medical Home, 17th FAB/555 EN BDE, Joint Base Lewis McChord, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Timothy S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Batig
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gobern
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Madigan Army Medical Center, 9040 Jackson Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98431.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hemman
authors.affiliation: Contraceptive Discovery Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: Alicia Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Christy
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20889.
authors.forename: Micah J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires