Prevention of unwanted pregnancy

The concepts of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies vary from one woman to another and have an important correlation to their social position to cultural influences and to the husbands attitude toward pregnancy. Unwanted pregnancies are more frequent in the extreme ages of reproductive life and are related to a low socioeconomic and education level. They have been associated with a high risk of inadequate prenatal care and with subsequent complications both for the mother and the child which is more pronounced among adolescents who present a higher psychological vulnerability less stable relationships and in many cases a premature ending of their schooling. In Spain in the nineties the fertility rate decreased but the rate of voluntary pregnancy interruption continues to rise. In 1992 there were 44962 voluntary pregnancy interruptions with a rate of 5.2 per 1000 women between 15 and 44 years which increased to 7.66 in 2001 based on a total of 69857 voluntary pregnancy interruptions. In the last decade pregnancies among women under 18 have picked up (6.81 per every 1000 women in 1995 and 10 in 2004). 60.6% of Spanish women use a contraceptive method with the condom being the most widely used. According to an estimate 1014286 women are at risk of an unwanted pregnancy. (excerpt)