查看文章

Image In the United States, one out of every two pregnancies is unintended 1–meaning that nearly half of all pregnancies are either mistimed or unwanted. The percent is even higher among teens; eight in 10 pregnancies among 15 to 19 year olds are classified as unintended. 1 Moreover, four out of ten births are unintended, 7 although this number differs based on race/ethnicity and marital status. 3 The high proportions of unintended pregnancies and births warrant attention, given their link to negative outcomes for mothers (including less education and labor force participation and more reliance on welfare and public assistance) and for the children (including lower educational performance and attainment and high levels of poverty and crime). 2, 4 Unintended pregnancies also result in high costs to society; roughly $11 billion per year (based on Medicaid and CHIP expenditures for births, including costs for …