HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.064584v1 96/11/2009    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Santelli, J. S. Articles by Kendall, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Santelli, J. S. Articles by Kendall, C. Related Collections Abortion Pregnancy

John S. Santelli, MD, MPH, Ilene S. Speizer, PhD, MHS, Alexis Avery, MPH and Carl Kendall, PhD

At the time of the study, John S. Santelli was with the Applied Sciences Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Ilene Speizer, Alexis Avery, and Carl Kendall were with the Department of International Health, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, La.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints may be sent to John Santelli, MD, MPH, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Ave, B-2, New York, NY 10032 (e-mail: js2637{at}columbia.edu).

Objectives. We examined pregnancy decisionmaking among women seeking abortion or prenatal care.

Methods. Conventional measures of pregnancy intentions were compared with newer measures in 1017 women seeking abortion. A reduced sample of abortion patients (142 African American women from New Orleans) was compared with 464 similar women entering prenatal care.

Results. Virtually all abortion patients reported the pregnancy as unintended; two thirds of prenatal patients reported the pregnancy as unintended. Reasons for seeking abortion related to life circumstances, including cost, readiness, not wanting any more children, marital status, relationship stability, and being too young. Abortion patients were more likely to report trying hard to avoid a pregnancy and not being in a relationship. They were less likely to report that their partner wanted a baby (odds ratio=0.10) or that they wanted a baby with their partner (odds ratio=0.13) than prenatal patients.

Conclusions. Traditional measures of pregnancy intentions did not readily predict a woman’s choice to continue or abort the pregnancy. Relationship with male partners, desire for a baby with the partner, and life circumstances were critical dimensions in pregnancy decisionmaking.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. K. Jones, L. F. Frohwirth, and A. M. Moore "I Would Want to Give My Child, Like, Everything in the World": How Issues of Motherhood Influence Women Who Have Abortions Journal of Family Issues, January 1, 2008; 29(1): 79 - 99. [Abstract] [PDF]