Unwanted pregnancy
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Unintended pregnancies are pregnancies that were unwanted at the time of conception, these are sometimes divided into unwanted pregnancies and those that are mistimed.[1] Worldwide, 38% of pregnancies were unintended in 1999 (some 80 million unintended pregnancies in 1999).[2][3] Unintended pregnancies are the primary cause of induced abortion,[1] resulting in about 42 million induced abortions.[2] Unintended pregnancy is linked to numerous maternal and child health problems.[1]
The use of modern contraceptive methods has greatly reduced the incidence of unintended pregnancy, particularly in more developed countries. However the United States has an unusually high rate of unintended pregnancy, especially among the poor.