Unwanted Pregnancy: Causes, Preventive Methods and Effects on Family Health from the Perspective of Women with a History of Unwanted Pregnancy

Abstract

Background: Unwanted pregnancy is a worldwide social-health problem in family planning program that threatens the physical and psychosocial aspects of reproductive health. Due to the high prevalence (40%) of unwanted pregnancy in Freidounshahr district, Iran, this study was conducted to find practicable strategies to solve or minimize the problem. Methods: Being a qualitative study, purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Women with at least one unwanted pregnancy and an active family file in a health center within the Freidounshahr district were enrolled to the study. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview by a trained interviewer. Dickelman method was used for data analysis. Findings: From the perspective of our subjects, the causes of unwanted pregnancy were not using contraception, contraception failure, the concurrent use of other drugs, incorrect contraception and emergency contraception use, and the lack of knowledge about how to approach forgotten oral contraceptive pills. Preventive methods were using a consistent form of contraception correctly, having correct information about how to approach the forgotten pills, and getting information from reliable sources. Unwanted pregnancy effects were in physical and psychosocial domains. Conclusion: According to the serious consequences of unwanted pregnancy, the neccessity of doing precise counseling, giving comprehensive information to clients about their selected conteraceptive methods, and distributig pamfelets or handbooks as a reliable source of information is felt. Keywords: Unwanted pregnancy, Etiology, Prevention and control, Family health