Options for Women with Unintended Pregnancy

Unintended pregnancy refers to unwanted, unplanned, or mistimed pregnancies. One-half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and family physicians are often asked to provide counseling, support, and resources for women with unintended pregnancies. Options include carrying the infant to term and raising the child, carrying the infant to term and choosing adoption, or having an induced abortion. Family physicians should be equipped to direct women who choose to raise the infant to appropriate care and resources. Most U.S. women do not choose adoption, but there are multiple resources for women interested in this option. Physicians should not broker adoptions, match potential parents with mothers, or adopt children of their own patients. Induced abortion is performed in the first or second trimester of pregnancy. Medical management is comparable with surgical management, and both methods are safe and effective. Combination regimens with mifepristone and misoprostol are the most effective medical methods. Dilation and curettage and vacuum aspiration are the most common surgical methods.